THE  Ul'iiV. 

RUBBER    COUNTRY 


OF    THE 


AMAZON 


A  DETAILED  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  GREAT  RUB- 
BER INDUSTRY  OF  THE  AMAZON  VALLEY,  WHICH 
COMPRISES  THE  BRAZILIAN  STATES  OF  PARA, 
AMAZONAS  AND  MATTO  GROSSO,  THE  TERRI- 
TORY OF  THE  ACRE,  THE  MONTANA  OF  PERU 
AND  BOLIVIA,  AND  THE  SOUTHERN  PORTIONS 
OF  COLOMBIA  AND  VENEZUELA 


By 

HENRY  C.  PEARSON 

n 

Editor  of  "The  India  Rubber  World."     Author  of  "What  I  Saw 
In  the  Tropics,"  "Crude  Rubber  and  Compound- 
ing Ingredients,"  Etc. 


NEW   YORK 

THE  INDIA  RUBBER  WORLD 
1911 


COPYRIGHT,   igil,   BY 

HENRY  C.  PEARSON. 


PREFATORY 

I  THINK  it  was  in  1870  that  I  started  to  outfit  my  first  expedition 
to  the  Amazon.  It  was  not  in  any  sense  scientific  nor  had  I  the 
interests  of  the  rubber  trade  then  at  heart.  It  was  to  be  a  hunting 
and  fishing  trip  solely,  varied  by  occasional  battles  with  Indians.  A 
treacherous  companion,  to  whom  I  incautiously  confided  some  of  the 
outfitting  details,  betrayed  the  trust  to  my  mother.  She  confiscated  my 
gun,  an  elder  sister  hid  the  ammunition,  so  I  was  compelled  to  abandon 
the  attempt  for  a  short  time,  (forty  years  in  retrospect  is  not  long). 
And  what  a  satisfaction  to  feel  that  one's  early  ambitions  are  finally 
realized,  at  least  in  part. 

The  delay  in  the  journey  altered  my  viewpoint  somewhat,  and 
changed  the  equipment.  The  gun,  hunting  knife,  and  lasso  did  not 
seem  so  important  as  a  Letter  of  Credit;  nor  did  I  have  that  intense 
yearning  for  slaughter  that  dominated  Expedition  No.  I. 

Then,  too,  much  rubber  research  in  other  tropical  countries  made 
the  prospect  of  this  trip  particularly  alluring. 

From  the  time  when  La  Condamine  made  his  report  to  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society  at  Paris  upon  the  curious  gum  that  he  found  in  the 
Brazils,  the  Amazon  river  has  been  visited  by  a  procession  of  specialists. 
Some  went  for  adventure,  some  for  trade  and  some  in  the  interest  of 
science.  To  such  as  Humboldt,  Agassiz,  and  Spruce  whose  search 
was  for  knowledge  the  reward  was  the  richest  of  all. 

With  one-half  of  the  worlds  product  of  india  rubber  coming  from 
the  mighty  Amazon,  with  the  great  northern  states  of  Brazil,  and  notable 
portions  of  Peru  and  Bolivia  dependant  wholly  upon  the  rubber  business 
it  seemed  time  that  the  story  of  "Ouro  Preto"  (black  gold  as  the  Brazilians 
most  appropriately  call  india  rubber),  be  fully  and  fairly  told. 

Personally  I  am  more  than  pleased  that  it  is  my  fortune  thus  to 
tell  the  story.  Not  altogether  my  own  experiences  but  a  composite 
sketch,  to  which  Governors  of  states,  Captains  of  trading  vessels,  half 
breed  rubber  gatherers,  American,  English,  German  and  Brazilian  business 
men  have  all  contributed. 


520729 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

From  Brooklyn  to  Barbados  by  Banana  Boat — The  Home  of  Sea  I 

Island   Cotton — Some   Interesting    Rubber   Planting   Experi- 
ments. 

CHAPTER  II. 

Exploring  the  Island  in  a  Four  Wheeler — Seas  of  Sugar  Cane  and  7 

Sentinel  Windmills — Barbados  as  a  Halfway   House  Where 

One    Goes    into    Training    for    Tropical    Adventure — A 

Typical  Tropical  Golf  Course — Boarding  the  Rubber 

Boat  for  Belem. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Entering   the    Tocantins,    the    Neck   of    the    Amazonian    Rubber         16 
Bottle — Real  Equatorial  Rains  and  Heat — The  loo-Mile  Run 
to   the    City   of    Para- — The    Longest    Way    Round,    the 
Shortest   Way   to   the   Shore — Landing   in    the   Midst 
of   Rubber. 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Para   a    Pleasant    Surprise — How    the   "White   Wings"   Work   in         23 
Para — The  Yellow  Fever  Mosquito  and  How  to  Dodge  it — A 
Military    Fire   Department — Bits   of   Early    History. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Received  by  the  Governor  and  the  Intendentc — Club  Life  on  the         30 
Amazon  —  Carnival    Scenes  —  Brazilian    Hospitality  —  Ham- 
burger Tourists. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Para's  "Wall   Street' — How  the  Natives  Adulterate  Crude  Rub-         38 
ber — Examining  for  Adulterations — Hard  Working  Tropical 
Longshoremen — Friendly     Rivalry     Between     Para    and 
Manaos — Where  Rubber  Markets  are  Really  Made. 

VII 


viii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PAGE 

To  the  "Island  of  Tiger  Cats" — "Overtapped"  Rubber  Trees — Rub-         43 
ber  Tree  Diseases  up  the  Amazon — Four-eyed   Fish  of  the 
Igarape  —  Explosive      Rubber      Nuts  —  Nipped     by     a 
Centipede. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

The  Wonderful  Museu  Goeldi  with  its  Fauna,  Animate  and  Inani-         49 
mate — Rubber     in     the     Botanical     Gardens — The     World's 
Greatest  Authority  on  the  Hevea  and  His  Tropical  Work- 
shop— Sapiums  and  Balata  in  the  Amazon — Tapping- 
Rubber  Trees  at   Daybreak — The   Identification 
of  Caucho — Braving  the  "Dangers"  of  the 
Upriver  Journey. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

How  the  Para  Rubber  Tree  Got  its  Name — A  Bit  of  Botanical         57 
History — Grades  of  Brazilian  Rubber — Hebrew  Peddlers   on 
the  Amazon — Distribution  of  the  Industry — Outfitting  the 
Rubber  Gatherers — The  Rubber  Gatherer  and  How 
He  Lives — Locating  the  Para  Rubber  Trees — 
Tapping    and    Collecting    of    Rubber    De- 
scribed in  Detail. 

I 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Smoking  of  the  Rubber  Milk— Palm  Nut  Fuel— What  Becomes         68 
of      the      Drippings  —  Branding  —  Method      of      Collecting 
"Cameta" — Indians  as  Natural  Botanists — Size  of  Rub- 
ber Trees — Various  Inventions  for  Preserving  Latex 
and    Smoking    the    Rubber    Milk — Blending    of 
Other  Rubber  Milks  with  Hevea — Tapping 
Season. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Source  of  the  Amazon  River — Early  Traditions — The   Start         78 
Upriver — The  Narrows — Forest  Scenes — Our  Butterfly  Hun- 
ter— Breves  and  the  Ancient  Channel — The  River  Cable 
and    Its    Interruptions — The    Wireless. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Jungle   Study  from  the  Chart  Deck — The   Southern   Cross   as   it         85 
•     Really  is — Into  the  Amazon  Proper — Floating   Islands — De- 
structive Work  of  Floods — Prainha  on  the  Xingu — Fast 
in  a  Mud  Bank — Steering  by  Lightning  Flashes — 
Itacoatiara — The  "Dead  and  the  Living  Rivers." 


CONTENTS  ix 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

_^  PAGE 

Arrival  at  Manaos — Floating  Docks  of  the  Rio  Negro — Transpor-         93 
tation  by  "Bonds" — The  Great  City  of  the  Wilderness — Rubber 

Revenues. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

* 

The    Bosque    and    Experimental    Rubber    Plantings — Real    Wild       102 
Indians — Exploring,  up  the  Rio  Negro — Rubber  at  "Paradizo" 
Ranch — Drinking  "Cupussu" — The  Commercial  Associa- 
tion     Rubber      Exhibition  —  Tropical      Colds      and 
Coughs — Manaos    Mosquitos — Roasted    Amazo- 
nian Turtle — Rubber  Tree-Planting  Day. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Steamers    of    the    Amazon — Interesting    Bits    of    History — Mail       112 
Delivery  on  the  Upper  Rivers — The  Associacdo  Commercial  do 
Amazonas — Borracha — The    Land    of    "Poco    Poco"- 
Footprints  of  Visiting  Americans — Nine  Dollar  Head 
Tax — Off  for  the  Solimoes. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Railroad    Building   in    the    Heart   of    the    Rubber    Country — The       119 
Cataracts  of  the  Madeira — J3afc/ao.y— Madeira-Mamore  Con- 
cession— The    Great    Camp    at    Porto    Velho — Caripuna 

Indians.. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Rubber  Manufacture  by  Indians — Head  Hunters — Rebellion  of         129 
Contest    Laborers — Insects    in    the    Railroad    Camps — Early 
Attempts  at  Railroad  Building — The  Mamore,  the  Beni 
and  the  Madeira  dc  Dios — Cannibal  Indians. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The    Bolivian    Montana — Discovery    of    Rubber    There — "Ouro       138 
Vegetal"  -  -  Establishing    Seringacs  —  Cart    Roads  —  Liberal 
Laws    Passed — "Border   Ruffians" — How    Bolivian   Rub- 
ber   is    Gathered — River    Navigation   by   Balsa   and 
Callapo — A   Rich   Rubber   Chieftian. 


x  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

PAGE 

The    Rubber   Forest   Country   of   Peru — A   Rubber   Revolution —        150 

Foreign    Capital    in    Peru — Iquitos    and    Its    Growth —    The 

"Dining  Hall  of  the  World" — Peruvian  Indians — Various 

Peruvian    Rubbers — The    Complete    Story    of    Cau- 

cho — Para  Rubber  of  Peru. 

CHAPTER   XX. 

O  Acre — The  Richest  Rubber  Territory  in  the  World — Romantic       161 
History  of  a  Tropical  "No-Man's-Land" — The  Acre  War — 
It  Becomes   Brazilian   Federal  Territory — Ownership  of 
Upriver    Estates — Administrations    of    Laws    in    the 
Acre  —  Mortality    in     Rubber     Districts  —  The 
Seasons. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Matto  Grosso,  a  Great  Unexplored  Country — Gathering  of  Matto       170 

Grosso  Rubber — Colombia  on  the  Amazon — Hcvca,  Caucho, 

and  Balata — Venezula  and  the  Rio  Negro — "Angostura" 

Rubber — The  Casiquiare  and  the  Forestal  District — 

Careless  Rubber  Gathering. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Down  the  Amazon  in  a  Freighter — Santarem  and  Wickham — The       178 
Narrows  Again — Arrival  at  Para — Rubber  Planting  Lands — 
Examination  of  the  "Rain  Forest"-  -"Capoeira"  Land. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Planting  Interest  in  Para — New  Planting  Laws — A  Word  About       187 
the  Tapping  Season — What  Para  Rubber  Trees  Yield — The 

Recebcdoria. 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Good-bye    to    Para — Wonderful    Phosphorescence — In    the    Great       195 
Coast  Current — Short  Stop  at  Barbados — Landing  Rub- 
ber Cargo  at  Brooklyn. 

APPENDIXES. 

A    Word    of    Thanks — Statistics    of    Exports    from    the    Amazon       203 
Valley — Shrinkage     of    Rubber — Selling    Conditions — Prices 
and  Speculation — Rubber  Species  on  the  Amazon — Early 
Para  Rubber  Shoes. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FROM  BROOKLYN  TO  BARBADOS  BY  BANANA  BOAT — THE  HOME  OF  SEA  ISLAND 
COTTON — SOME  INTERESTING  RUBBER  PLANTING  EXPERIMENTS. 

I  HAD  been  planning  an  Amazonian  trip  for  several  years,  only  waiting 
for  the  psychological  period  when  everything  would  be  ready  for 
a  really  profitable  visit.  When,  therefore,  during  the  latter  part 
oi  19x^9,  prominent  Brazilians  began  to  call  at  my  office,  full  of  interest 
in  rubber  planting  and  in  new  methods  for  collecting  and  coagulating 
rubber,  I  felt  that  the  time  had  come,  and  made  rapid  preparations  for 
the  journey.  The  really  luxurious  traveler  to  the  Amazon,  if  he  be  a 
New  Yorker,  goes  to  Europe  first,  and  is  able  to  make  the  whole  passage 
on  a  big  boat.  It  is  a  question,  however,  if  he  gets  very  much  more 
of  comfort  than  I  got  on  the  little  3,000  ton  steamer  of  the  Koninklijke 
West  Indische  Maildienst,  which  sailed  from  Brooklyn,  a  well  known 
suburb  of  New  York,  on  the  afternoon  of  January  3rd  for  Bridgetown, 
Barbados,  West  Indies;  certainly  he  does  not  get  as  much  Amazonian 
information  en  route. 

It  is  a  " Sabbath  day's"  journey  from  Manhattan  by  ferry  and  dock 
trolley  to  the  Bush  Terminal  pier,  from  which  the  southern  boats  start. 
Ours  was  advertised  to  sail  at  I  o'clock.  The  steamship  office  informed 
me  in  confidence  that  it  got  away  at  2,  my  ticket  read  "Sailing  at  3," 
and  we  really  got  away  at  4. 

Built  in  Amsterdam  in  1908,  commanded  by  Dutch  officers,  with 
Curaqoa  negroes  for  a  crew,  and  with  only  13  passengers  and  a  deck 
load  of  mules,  the  tout  ensemble  was  unique,  and  the  voyage  gave  promise 
of  unusualness  sure  to  appeal  to  one  not  wedded  to  luxury  and  the 
beaten  track.  Escorted  by  tugs  and  saluted  by  a  mob  of  "dago" 
stevedores,  we  worked  our  way  out  through  the  press  of  tramp  steamers, 
lighters,  and  foreign  shipping,  and  our  journey  was  begun.  The  sea 
was  smooth  and  the  tiny  social  hall  and  smoking  room,  bright  with  electric 
lights,  were  very  cozy.  The  impress  of  Dutch  art  was  upon  both  rooms, 
and  showed  in  the  inlaid  tables,  chairs,  and  walls,  the  Dutch-made  rubber 
tiling  of  a  pattern  none  but  a  Hollander  could  design,  the  upright  piano 
of  hard  action  and  soft  tone,  in  a  queer,  stiffly  ornamented  case  built  in  the 

1 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


side  of  the  room,  together  with  a  fascinating  panel  painting  of  a  mermaid 
in  a  tail-maid  suit,  sitting  upon  a  rock,  and  alluring  a  low  browed  savage 
by  blowing  through  a  conch  shell. 

We  had  hoped  for  a  smooth  passage,  and  as  we  left  New  York 
right  after  the  great  Christmas  storm,  yearned  for  warmer  weather, 
but  it  was  not  until  the  third  day  of  the  voyage  that  there  was  any 


WIND    MILL    FOR    CANE    GRINDING/    BARBADOS. 

suggestion  of  either  smoothness  or  warmth.  A  following  wind  from 
the  northeast  chilled  the  air  and  made  the  Gulf  stream  a  steaming 
vapor  crested  caldron. 

There  were  about  the  usual  health  seekers,  in  the  persons  of 
middle  aged  individuals,  who  were  fleeing  from  winter  rigors  of  the 
north  to  summer  safety,  an  asphalt  man  and  a  drummer  for  a  big  textile 
house.  There  was  little  or  no  excitement,  even  when  the  friendly  ones 
in  the  smoking  room  succeeded  in  introducing  the  potent  and  pleasant 
West  Indian  cocktail — the  "Swizzle" — to  the  masculine  contingent. 

The  usual  route  of  the  Dutch  boats  is  outside  of  the  West  Indian 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


islands,  Barbados  being  the  first  land  sighted,  but  for  the  sake  of 
smoother  seas  for  his  passengers  the  Captain  took  the  inside  route. 
We,  therefore,  late  on  Saturday  night,  saw  Sombrero  in  the  distance, 
and  awoke  Sunday  morning  off  Sabre  island,  a  brown  sugar  loaf  peak 
rising  from  the  ocean  depths.  Later  came  Dutch  St.  Eustacia,  which  we 
saluted.  Then,  running  through  white  capped  seas,  we  passed  St.  Kitts, 


SQUEEZE    ROLLS    FOR    CRUSHING    SUGAR    CANE. 

Nevis,  Barbuda,  and  Guadaloupe.  All  day  long  we  skirted  shores  where 
the  sea  was  a  wonderful  blue,  where  mountain  peaks  were  wreathed 
in  cloud,  and  the  land,  often  heavily  forested,  showed  the  most  wonder- 
ful varied,  and  vivid  greens — colors  that  only  a  tropical  sun  and  abundant 
moisture  can  create.  That  night,  the  last  on  board,  we  had  a  special 
dinner,  with  ornamented  menu,  and,  as  a  finale,  ice  cream  served  in 
a  huge  block  of  ice,  lighted  by  candles  ingeniously  arranged  in  crystal 
niches.  At  nightfall  we  passed  outside  again  between  Dominica 
and  Martinique,  and  as  it  was  squally  the  Captain  spent  the  night  on 
the  bridge,  while  the  rest  of  us  slept. 


4  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

In  the  morning  we  were  close  to  the  island  of  Barbados,  which 
we  partly  circled,  anchoring  off  Bridgetown  at  noon.  A  swarm  of 
boats  manned  by  husky  black  oarsmen  crowded  along  by  the  ship's 
side,  shouting  anything  and  everything  to  attract  attention  to  their 
boats.  They  had  '*iven  genuine  darky  names  to  their  craft,  such  as 
"Ladybird,"  "Lilyvhite,"  "Mel  Rose,"  etc.  With  all  of  our  luggage 
in  "  Lily  white,"  we  went  ashore,  passed  the  courteous  customs  success- 
fully, leaving  my  heavy  service  revolver  in  their  care  until  I  sailed  again, 


TYPICAL    BARBADIAN     NEGRO     HUT. 

and  were  soon  bowling  along  the  dazzling  white  coral  roads  to  the  hotel 
at  Hastings.  Here  we  had  lunch,  and  three  hours  later,  the  luggage 
having  arrived,  were  comfortably  settled  in  cool,  airy  rooms,  windows 
and  doors  wide  open,  clad  in  linen  suits,  wondering  how  cold  it  was 
on  Broadway. 

After  all  of  the  northern  cold,  and  the  boisterous  and  chilly  sea, 
it  was  supremely  comfortable  to  relax  in  the  semi-tropical  warmth  and 
enjoy  the  evening  stillness,  broken  only  by  the  bird  calls,  the  piping 
frogs,  and  the  distant  plaints  of  sheep  and  goats. 

Rubber  has  not  as  yet  been  successfully  grown  in  Barbados.  There 
is,  to  be  sure,  a  small  planting  of  Funtumia  on  one  of  the  estates,  and 
a  few  Ficus  elasticas  in  the  gardens,  but  that  is  all.  Not  that  the 
Imperial  Commissioner  and  his  associates  are  not  on  the  watch  for  any 
rubber  producer  that  may  be  of  use.  Indeed,  their  quiet  alertness  was 
fully  proved  when  the  "Ekanda"  first  came  into  brief  prominence.  They 


OF  THE  AMAZON  5 

secured  some  of  the  tubers,  set  them  out,  proved  them  useless,  and 
turned  to  other  work  before  the  rest  of  the  world  was  through  with  the 
preliminary  discussion  as  to  their  probable  value.  Sugar  is  the  great 
staple,  and  often  produced  in  the  old  fashioned  wvy  by  hand  labor  in 
planting  and  gathering,  and  often  extracted  by  the.  wasteful  windmill. 
Something  like  500  tons  of  Man  jack  or  glance  pitch  is  mined  in 
Barbados.  This  form  of  asphalt  is  very  solid  and  pure  and  is  used  in 


GINNING    SEA    ISLAND    COTTON,    BARBADOS. 

insulation  quite  largely.  None  of  the  small  deposits  that  I  saw  were 
being  worked,,  and  the  industry  did  not  seem  to  be  of  great  importance. 
Of  greater  interest  than  sugar  and  molasses  is  the  Sea  Island 
cotton  grown  there.  Barbados  figures  in  the  cotton  trade  possibly  to 
a  greater  extent  than  some  may  be  aware.  While  cotton  was  found 
native  in  the  present  area  of  the  United  States,  there  is  no  record  of 
that  variety  ever  having  been  put  under  cultivation.  The  cotton  now 
grown  in  our  country  came  from  the  West  Indies.  Just  where  is  not 
certain,  but  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  "sea  island"  sort,  the  Gossypium 
Barbadense,  had  its  origin  in  Barbados. 


6  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

For  a  long  time  the  West  Indian  planters  seemed  not  interested 
in  cotton,  but  now,  under  the  urgency  of  the  British  government  that 
every  colony  shall  be  self  supporting,  if  not  more  so,  they  are  planting 
it  and  especially  in  Barbados.  The  amount  of  cotton  produced  is  not 
large  as  yet,  but  considering  the  enterprise  of  the  planters  as  a  class, 
and  the  encouragement  of  planting  interests  by  the  governmental 
authorities,  it  seems  reasonable  to  expect  an  important  development  from 


FIELD  OF    SEA    ISLAND   COTTON,   BARBADOS. 

the  present  small  beginnings.     Already  the  annual  production  is  nearly 
half  a  million  pounds. 

As  a  final  touch  to  the  subject  came  my  visit  to  the  Central  Cotton 
Ginning  Factory,  located  at  Bridgetown.  Here  a  very  careful  Scot 
somewhat  reluctantly  took  us  over  the  factory.  That  is,  he  was  doubtful 
at  first,  but  after  a  bit  warmed  up  and  showed  everything  with  enthusiasm. 
The  work  of  ginning,  cleaning  the  seed,  baling  the  lint,  crushing  the 
seed,  expressing  and  clarifying  the  oil,  and  grinding  the  cake,  was  well 
done  throughout.  The  machinery  used  was  mostly  English,  with  some 
American  for  special  purposes. 


CHAPTER  II. 

EXPLORING  THE  ISLAND  IN  A  FOUR  WHEELER — SEAS  OF  SUGAR  CANE  AND 
SENTINEL  WINDMILLS — BARBADOS  AS  A  HALFWAY  HOUSE  WHERE  ONE  GOES  INTO 
TRAINING  FOR  TROPICAL  ADVENTURE— A  TYPICAL  TROPICAL  GOLF  COURSE— BOARDING 
THE  RUBBER  BOAT  FOR  BELEM. 

JUST  to  get  an  idea  of  the  topography  of  the  island,  we  rose  early 
one  morning  and  drove  over  to  Codrington  College,  some  14  miles 
away.  The  roads  were  all  good,  but  narrow,  with  no  sidewalks 
even  in  the  small  towns.  It  was  a  wonder,  so  smooth  were  the  roads, 
that  the  40  automobiles  owned  on  the  island,  as  well  as  the  1,500  bicycles, 
were  not  equipped  with  solid  tires  rather  than  pneumatics.  There  were 
no  speed  limits,  but  there  were  so  many  turns,  and  such  a  crowd  of 
foot  passengers  and  vehicles,  that  more  than  20  miles  an  hour  was 
out  of  the  question.  So  smooth  were  the  roads  that  boys  with  forked 
sticks  rolled  three-inch  iron  wheels  for  miles — a  form  of  toy  not  seen 
•elsewhere. 

The  drive  was  a  very  beautiful  one,  through  great  fields  of  sugar 
cane,  by  big  and  little  sugar  mills,  sometimes  run  by  steam  power,  but 
more  often  by  the  wind.  We  stopped  briefly  at  St.  John's  church,  which 
is  situated  on  the  top  of  a  hill  fronting  the  ocean,  and  climbing  the  bell 
tower  got  a  wonderful  view  of  sea  and  shore.  Then  we  wandered 
through  the  ancient  churchyard  and  looked  at  the  quaint  headstones  and 
limestone  vaults,  took  photographs  and  went  on  our  way. 

A  four-mile  drive  down  a  series  of  steep  hills,  where  the  driver  roped 
one  of  the  rear  wheels  to  keep  it  from  turning,  and  we  were  at  Codrington 
College,  which  we  did  not  see  much  of,  as  the  main  buildings  were  being 
repaired.  Here  under  a  huge  tree,  from  the  shade  of  which  we  evicted 
several  sullenly  reluctant  toads,  we  opened  our  lunch  basket.  We  were 
very  comfortable,  for  the  caretaker  brought  us  chairs,  and  a  "monkey" 
of  cool  water,  and  the  food  was  excellent.  We  loafed  and  smoked  through 
the  heat  of  the  day  and  finally,  at  3.30  started  back.  On  the  way  we 
stopped  at  a  sugar  estate  and  saw  a  windmill  at  work  and  the  process 
of  boiling  the  juice.  The  proprietor  was  an  absentee,  but  his  colored 


8  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

superintendent  was  elaborately  polite  and  hospitable.  After  the  ex- 
amination of  the  plant  he  led  us  to  the  "gallery"  (veranda)  of  the  house 
and  treated  us  to  a  pitcher  of  the  hot  syrup. 

The  day  following  I  called  upon  the  American  Consul,  who  promptly 
put  me  up  at  the  Golf  Club,  and  was  particularly  helpful.  Speaking  of 
golf,  I  had  been  advised  that  it  was  well  before  a  journey  to  the  Amazon 
to  get  in  as  good  a  physical  condition  as  possible.  That  was  one  reason 


AVENUE    OF    ROYAL    PALMS,    BRIDGETOWN. 

that  I  was  glad  to  be  put  up  at  the  Savannah  Club  which  institution  merits 
a  little  extra  attention,  as  the  links  were  different  from  any  that  I  had 
ever  played  over. 

There  is  a  station  half  way  between  Bridgetown  and  Hastings 
known  as  Garrison.  Here  are  arranged  on  three  sides  of  the  Savannah 
the  brick  barracks  and  officers'  houses  that  once  sheltered  full  regiments. 
To-day  there  is  hardly  a  corporal's  guard  left.  One  of  the  buildings,  the 
'clock  tower,"  where  the  regimental  bands  played,  had  been  acquired  by 
the  Savannah  Club,  that  in  the  face  of  a  dearth  of  m;n  has  kept  tennis, 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


cricket,  and  polo  alive,  and  incidently  laid  out  a  six-hole  golf  course. 
The  putting  greens,  circles  of  23  feet,  cut  into  the  thick  bunch  grass 
of  the  fields,  were  fine.  Seeded  to  Bermuda  grass,  they  are  always  level, 
free  from  worm  casts,  and  as  nearly  perfect  as  possible.  Then,  too, 
the  course  to  the  first  hole,  across  the  polo  field,  was  such  that  one  can 


CODRINGTON    COLLEGE,    BARBADOS. 

use  a  brassy,  but  nowhere  else.  All  of  the  tees  were  built  on  a  slant 
and  grassed  because  of  the  rains,  and  it  was  wonderful  how  far  into  the 
sky  one  could  drive  a  ball.  The  caddies,  funny  little  darkies,  went  on 
ahead  and  located  the  ball  in  the  deep  grass,  and  thereafter  one  used 
a  lofter.  By  the  club  rules  if  a  caddy  fails  to  find  the  ball,  any  other 
boy  who  does  gets  threepence,  to  be  deducted  from  the  caddy's 
fee.  Very  few  balls  are  lost.  Although  it  is  hot  there  is  usually  a  breeze, 
and  eighteen  holes  with  tea  afterward  on  the  club  "gallery"  is  a  good 
healthy  afternoon's  work,  and  pleasant  finish. 


io  THE  RUBBER  COUXTRY 

Did  I  by  any  chance  say  there  were  no  bunkers  on  the  golf  course? 
I  was  wrong.  From  one  tee  the  drive  was  over  the  race  course  and  a 
high  board  fence.  Then,  too,  there  were  the  big  banyan  trees  that 
circled  one  green.  The  only  play  was  to  loft  the  ball  up  over  the  one 
fronting  you.  Then  the  small  movable  bunkers,  the  tethered  cows, 
sheep,  and  goats,  might  all  be  called  hazards.  One  cow  in  particular 
lowered  her  head  and  charged  golfers  whenever  they  indulged  in  too 
much  preliminary  wrist  wriggling.  I  did  not  blame  her.  If  I  had  her 
horns  and  bulk,  I'd  try  to  break  up  the  practice  myself.  The  goats 
chewed  the  balls  some,  but  that  was  only  because  they  were  thirsty 
and  hoped  that  some  of  the  Americans  were  using  watercore  balls.  Oh, 
yes,  there  was  much  of  interest  and  sport,  particularly  when  a  sergeant 
was  drilling  the  awkward  squad  on  horseback  on  the  polo  field  and  you 
were  at  the  first  tee.  It  was  a  poor  drive  that  didn't  get  a  horse  or  a 
man,  and  the  sergeant  never  knew  what  broke  the  formation.  Then 
at  the  last  hole  when  you  sliced  on  the  approach  and  cannoned  on  a 
carom — no,  caromed  on  a — well,  hit  one  of  the  row  of  cannon,  it  only 
threw  you  off  a  bit,  and  added  to  the  zest.  So  I  kept  it  up  between 
whiles,  and  awaited  the  boat  that  was  to  take  me  to  Para. 

The  owner  of  the  hotel  was  very  much  of  a  genius  in  making 
his  guests  comfortable  and,  incidently,  amusing  them.  Aside  from 
dancing  and  bridge  for  those  so  inclined,  as  he  was  not  saddened  or 
disgusted  if  you  had  other  preferences,  he  had  a  series  of  tallyho  rides 
that  were  unique.  With  good  horses,  and  the  only  coach  on  the  island, 
he  was  a  whip  who  would  be  accounted  an  expert  anywhere.  To  be 
conveyed  over  the  slippery  limestone  roads  on  Saturday  night,  down 
through  the  indescribably  crowded  streets,  cutting  close  corners,  around 
the  market  and  out  under  the  low  stone  arch  set  in  a  very  inconvenient 
curve,  through  "Murderer's  Lane"  and  home,  was  a  delightful  experience 
and  not  without  thrills.  Then,  too,  there  were  his  special  excursions 
i^  the  afternoon  to  the  "haunted  wood,"  the  "baboon  village"  and  the 
"'smuggler's  cave,"  places  not  noted  in  the  guide  books,  but  full  of  fun 
and  interest. 

I  saw  sights  and  wrote  forenoons,  and  golfed  at  3.30  each  day,  and, 
by  the  time  my  boat  arrived,  was  feeling  very  fit.  Indeed,  I  should 
advise  any  one  coming  in  midwinter  from  the  north  to  stop  at  Barbados 
and  get  accustomed  to  warmer  weather,  and  incidently  rested  and  re- 
freshed before  essaying  the  heat. 

Barbados    is   the   health    resort   of    those   who   find   the    climate   of 


OF  THE  AMAZON  n 

South  America  too  much  for  them.  That  is  why  I  have  given  it  so 
much  space,  and  why  also  I  add  the  following  personal  conclusions : 

Barbados  is  the  oasis  in  the  watery  waste  between  New  York  and 
Para  where  all  wise  travelers  stop  for  rest  and  refreshment. 

No  bother  at  all  with  customs.     They  only  tax  tobacco  and  spirits. 


MANJACK     MINE,     BARBADOS. 

Everybody  speaks  English.  The  200,000  residents  are  negroes,  but 
at  the  same  time  British  subjects.  Two  or  three  weeks'  study  renders 
their  English  quite  intelligible. 

Clothing  is  as  good  and  as  cheap  as  anywhere  in  the  world.  Just 
the  place  to  buy  for  a  journey  up  the  Amazon.  No,  it  did  not  fit. 

George  Washington,  our  own  George,  came  down  here  when  a 
young  man,  and  the  governor  hospitably  gave  him  an  elaborate  breakfast 
and — the  small  pox. 

Gentle  showers  almost  every  day.  Good  water.  No  fleas,  few  flies, 
and  fewer  mosquitoes. 

Bathing  ideal,  but  beaches  are  few  and  guarded  by  coral  reefs 
•that  are  like  the  broken  glass  on  the  top  of  an  orchard  wall. 


12 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


Living  reasonable,  labor  plentiful,  cheap,  and  profoundly  inefficient. 

Barbados  is  unique  among  the  islands  that  crowd  the  southern 
seas,  in  that  it  is  dry,  comparatively  level,  has  no  forests,  is  of  coral 
formation,  and  is  said  to  be  almost  as  healthy  as  Heaven. 

It  was  6  in  the  morning  of  a  Sunday  when  the  welcome  information 
came  that  our  boat  was  in.  So  we  got  up  hurriedly,  finished  packing 
and  went  down  stairs,  fearful  that  we  would  not  have  time  for  breakfast, 
for  it  was  said  that  her  stay  would  be  only  two  or  three  hours  at  most. 


PUBLIC    GARDENS,     BRIDGETOWN,    BARBADOS. 

Somebody  had  blundered,  however.  It  was  not  ours,  but  one  from 
Manaos  and  Para,  and  soon  a  number  of  bright  young  American  engineers 
from  the  Madeira-Mamore  railroad  came  in.  After  a  year  in  the 
jungle  they  were  glad  of  a  vacation  and  were  friendly,  jolly  and  ap- 
parently as  healthy  as  if  they  had  been  at  work  on  the  New  York  Central. 
We  waited  until  2  p.  m.  and  at  last  our  boat  did  arrive,  and  at  3  o'clock 
we  started  for  the  pier.  We  had  to  hurry  but  managed  to  call  at  the 
postoffice  and  extract  a  letter  from  a  languid  clerk  after  answering  in- 
numerable questions.  Then  I  went  to  the  custom  house  and  secured  my 
revolver,  and,  boarding  a  shore  boat,  we  got  to  the  ship's  side  at  ex- 


u 

i 


OF  THE  AMAZON  13 

actly  ten  minutes  of  4.    A  pretty  close  shave  for  she  was  to  sail  at  4  sharp. 

We  hastened  to  get  our  luggage  stowed,  fortunately  exchanging  our 
cabin  on  the  saloon  deck  for  one  on  the  upper  with  more  room  and  better 
air.  Then  we  went  out  and  took  a  last  long  look  at  the  beautiful  island 
that  had  been  our  resting  place  for  thirteen  happy  days ! 

Having  looked  this  look,  we  threw  coppers  to  the  diving  boys, 
chatted  with  the  harbor  police,  and  went  in  and  smoked.  At  5  o'clock 
we  came  out  and  took  a  last  long  look  at  the  beautiful  island  that  had  been 
our  resting  place  for  thirteen  happy  days ! 

Then  we  went  to  the  cabin,  rearranged  our  baggage,  put  on  rubber 
soled  shoes,  smoked  a  pipe,  and  at  6  o'clock  went  out  on  deck  and  took 
a  last  long  look  at  the  island  that  had  been  our  resting  place  for  thirteen 
happy  days ! 

At  6.30  the  agent  came  aboard,  then  three  boats  filled  with  females 
and  luggage — two  females  and  several  tons  of  luggage.  The  females 
were  dusky  of  hue,  and  the  luggage  was  done  up  in  wicker  baskets, 
bed  quilts,  and  paper  boxes.  Finally  the  side  ladder  was  up,  the  anchor 
weighed,  and  \ve  went  on  deck  to  take  a  last  long  look  at  the  island  that 
had  been  our  resting  place  for  thirteen  happy  days ! 

We  had  dinner  that  night  in  a  cozy  little  saloon  decorated  with  a 
variety  of  foreign  flags,  to  please  no  doubt  the  somewhat  varied  assort- 
ment of  humans  who  fronted  the  viands.  There  were  Barbadians, 
Brazilians,  Peruvians,  Mexicans,  Swiss,  Germans,  English,  and  Ameri- 
cans,, the  last  named  an  interesting  lot  of  engineers  returning  for  a  fresh 
attack  upon  the  jungle  for  the  Madeira-Mamore  railroad. 

The  smoking  room  crowd  told  weird  tales  of  fevers,  sicknesses,  and 
deaths,  all  of  which  we  discounted,  for  were  they  not  going  back,  and 
was  not  the  ship's  doctor,  a  quiet,  healthy  man,  going  up  the  river  for 
is  thirtieth  visit?  Still  the  stories  were  entrancing,  especially  when 
hey  described  that  mysterious  beriberi  that  begins  in  the  legs,  works  up 
tc  the  heart,  and  ends  in  the  burying  ground. 

The  third  day  out  I  awoke  with  a  feeling  of  numbness  in  my  legs. 
When  I  walked  the  deck  it  was  quite  painful.  Remembering  the  vivid 
descriptions  of  beriberi  that  I  had  heard  from  convalescents  in  the  smoking 
room  the  night  before,  the  absence  of  fever,  the  way  it  affects  the  legs, 
and  so  on,  I  began  to  think.  Nor  was  I  at  all  reassured  when  the  ship's 
doctor  halted  beside  me  as  I  leaned  over  the  rail,  and  looking  at  me 
keenly  said : 

"How  do  your  legs  feel?" 


14  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

"Oh,  so  so,"  I  said  truthfully — for  they  did,  only  the  left  felt  more  so 
than  the  right. 

"Humph !  Thought  perhaps  the  combination  of  hot  decks  and  rubber- 
soled  shoes -might  hade  lamed  you  a  bit.  It  does  most  people."  he 
answered,  and  my  depression  vanished. 

Outside  of  the  boat,  her  officers,  and  passengers,  there  was  only 
the  monotony  of  the  bounding  billow.  No  gulls,  whales,  sharks,  or  sails. 
Even  Halley's  comet,  which  should  have  been  visible  each  night,  was 
regularly  obscured  by  clouds.  And  as  for  sunsets  we  didn't  have  a  real 


CONSTABLE    OF    THE    GOLF    COURSE,    BARBADOS. 

one  on  the  whole  voyage.  One  evening  three  of  the  little  Peruvian  girls 
played  a  trio  on  the  piano ;  while  the  others  danced  a  graceful  fandango. 
Between  whiles  there  was  talk  of  Neptune  coming  aboard,  and  those  who 
had  never  crossed  the  Equator  got  very  nervous  and  asked  innumerable 
questions. 

I  think  it  was  at  dinner  that  the  Peevish  Passenger  who  had  only  just 
been  able  to  crawl  down  to  the  table,  catching  a  twinkle  in  the  Captain's 
eye,  groaned : 

"Here  comes  the  whiskey  joke." 

"I'm  a  sailor  twenty-six  years  an'  I  say  water's  a  fine  thing — with 
a  drop  of  whiskey  in  it,"  announced  the  Captain.  (Much  applause). 


O.F  THE  AMAZON  15 

Another  twinkle  of  the  same  eyes. 

"It's  eggs  this  time,"  whispered  the  P.  P. 

"If  I  'ad  my  life  to  live  hover  again  I  wouldn't  go  on  as  much 
water  as  would  boil  two  heggs,"  said  the  Captain.  (More  applause). 

Suddenly  the  Peevish  Passenger  arose. 

"I'm  sick,"  he  said,  looking  at  the  humorist. 

"Wot  of?"  inquired  the  Captain 

"Of  them  eggs.  This  is  the  tenth  v'y'ge  you've  served  'em  up,  and 
they're  gettin  stale,"  and  he  stalked  unsteadily  out. 


AN    AGGRESSIVE    BOVINE    BUNKER,    ON    THE    GOLF    COURSE,    BARBADOS. 

All  through  the  voyage  every  one  who  knew  enough  took  quinine, 
loafed,  read,  and  kept  generally  quiet.  Indeed,  although  the  sea  was  not 
unusually  rough,  the  boat  rolled  so  constantly  that  the  best  sailors  among 
the  passengers  frankly  acknowledged  their  discomfort.  It  was  not  so 
much  the  fault  of  the  boat;  it  was  the  cross  seas  stirred  up  by  the 
steadily  blowing  trade  winds  that  did  the  mischief,  and  we  were  thankful 
when  the  light  off  Salinas  (on  the  Brazilian  coast)  was  sighted  and 
we  picked  up  a  pilot  for  the  hundred-mile  run  up  the  river  Tocantins  to 
the  city  of  Para — or  Belem — the  last  lap  of  the  journey  down  the  Atlantic. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ENTERING  THE  TOCANTINS,  THE  NECK  OF  THE  AMAZONIAN  RUBBER  BOTTLE — 
REAL  EQUATORIAL  RAINS  AND  HEAT — THE  100-MiLE  RUN  TO  THE  CITY  OF  PARA—- 
THE LONGEST  WAY  ROUND,  THE  SHORTEST  WAY  TO  THE  SHORE — LANDING  IN  THE 
MIDST  OF  RUBBER. 

OUR  craft  was  first  and  last  a  rubber  boat  and  had  carried  millions 
of  dollars'  worth  of  fine  Para  to  the  States  and  to  Europe — 
$4,000,000  in  one  cargo.    Almost  from  the  beginning  the  Captain 
and  officers  talked  rubber.     They  spoke  with  pride  of  Riker's  plantation 
up  at  Santarem,  and  said  he  had  50,000  trees  and  was  already  tapping. 
Posted  in  the  chart  room  was  the  following: 

"SHIPMENTS  OF  RUBBER  IN  MANA6S,  PARA  AND  OTHER 

PORTS. 

Special   Notice    to    Captains   and    Officers. 

"We  desire  to  call  the  special  attention  of  our  captains  and  officers 
to  the  fact  that  for  some  time  past  rubber  cargoes  have  come  forward 
with  the  weights  in  kilos  incorrectly  marked  on  many  of  the  cases, 
the  result  being  that  whenever  these  cases  are  landed  here  broken,  the 
vessel  is  invariably  called  upon  for  the  deficiency  between  the  foreign 
and  the  English  weight. 

"We,  therefore,  insist  upon  the  utmost  care  being  taken  in  receiving 
and  stowing  this  description  of  cargo,  so  that  the  cases  stand  no  possible 
chance  of  being  broken,  and  that  a  thorough  search  for  loose  rubber  be 
made  in  all  lighters  before  being  taken  away  from  vessel. 

"It  is  also  important  that  very  special  attention  be  given  to  ports 
of  destination  on  cases  of  rubber  for  Havre,  and  that  shipments  of 
pcllcs  and  other  loose  rubber  belonging  to  various  consignees  be  en- 
tirely separate ;  different  holds  preferred.  Great  care  must  be  taken 
in  the  storage  of  nuts  and  Lisbon  cargo,  that  the  immediate  discharge  of 
rubber  in  Havre  and  Liverpool  be  not  interfered  with.  This  is  very 
important." 

16 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


We  had  been  in  the 
mouth  of  the  Amazon  for 
certainly  twelve  hours,  and  the 
yellow  waves  gave  no  sug- 
gestion of  saltness.  We  told 
each  other  the  ancient  tale  of 
the  boat's  crew  perishing 
from  thirst,  hailing  a  passing 
vessel  and  begging  for  water, 
and  getting  the  well-known 
reply,  ''Dip  it  up  then;  you're 
in  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon." 
We  never  realized  what  a 
mean  trick  was  played  on 
those  thirsty  mariners  until 
we  got  a  deckhand  to  dip  up 
some  water.  It  was  exceed- 
ingly brackish  and  far  from 
drinkable. 

At  nightfall  it  began  to 
rain  in  torrents  and  we  felt 
our  way  up  to  the  pilot  boat, 
which  lay  rolling  in  the  trough 
of  the  sea  in  a  manner  that 
suggested  discomfort  to  those 
on  board.  After  a  time  -a 
boat  put  off  from  her  side 
and  we  saw  it  jerkily  ad- 
vancing over  the  waves  to 
meet  us.  That  is,  we  didn't 
see  the  boat — it  was  too  dark 
for  that;  we  saw  the  gleam 
of  a  lantern  at  intervals  v/hen 
it  rode  on  the  crest  of  a  wave. 
The  pilot,  a  huge  Indian, 
caught  the  side  ladder  and 
climbed  aboard  with  sur- 
prising agility. 

After  about  half  an  hour 


i8 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


steady-  steaming,  through  sheets  of  rain  illumined  by  occasional  lighting 
flashes,  with  the  lead  going  constantly,  we  anchored  in  15  fathoms  of 
water  to  wait  for  daylight  before  proceeding  up  the  river.  At  5  o'clock 
the  next  morning  we  started  on  again,  and  soon  it  was  light.  The 
yellowish  green  water  had  taken  on  a  deeper  yellow  and  the  morning 
was  a  mixture  of  rain  squalls  and  short  intervals  of  sunshine.  The 
Tocantins  looked  like  one  of  our  own  great  lakes  after  a  storm.  In  all 
directions  were  floating  forest  wreckage  and  marsh  grasses,  and  in  the  far 
distance  the  low  lying  coastline. 


NATIVE    FISHING   BOAT,   TOCANTINS    RIVER. 

Soon  we  began  to  see  the  fishing  boats  of  typical  Portuguese  con- 
struction, fitted  with  sails,  dark  brown,  red  and  blue.  As  we  got  further 
up  the  river  the  water  became  calmer.  Did  I  mention  that  it  was  grow- 
ing warmer  all  of  the  time?  It  certainly  was  hot,  and  those  who  were 
tc  remain  on  board  the  boat  during  its  stay  in  port  were  already  get- 
ting out  mosquito  bars.  The  captain  explained  to  me  the  reason  for 
anchoring  the  night  before.  It  seems  this  coast  is  afflicted  with  unusual 
and  strong  currents.  He  pointed  out  a  bank  which  a  huge  freight 


OF  THE  AMAZON  19 

steamer  skirted  by  unlucky  chance  one  dark  night,  running  her  bilge 
keel  upon  it,  and  turned  turtle  almost  instantly.  Then,  too,  he  showed 
us  the  reefs  where  only  a  short  time  before  another  huge  freighter 
had  been  wrecked,  the  captain  blowing  out  his  brains  when  he  found 
his  vessel  was  a  total  loss.  Soon  we  sighted  some  of  the  many  islands 
with  which  the  waterway  is  filled,  and  then  almost  at  once  got  our  first 
glimpse  of  the  water  front  of  the  great  Rubber  City. 

In  coming  up  to  Para  everything  is  on  so  large  a  scale  that  one 


BUSINESS    STREET,    PARA. 


gets  no  idea  at  all  of  the  wonderful  configuration  of  the  country.  The 
view  is  confined  to  wide  expanses  of  muddy  water,  low  shores,  densely 
overgrown  with  tropical  forests,  and  a  few  islands.  A  bird's  eye  view 
would  show  islands  big  and  little  by  the  thousands,  rivers  of  all  sizes 
coining  in  from  every  point  of  the  compass,  almost ;  creeks,  lagoons, 
waterways,  the  whole  lower  country  a  gigantic  plain  rising  but  a  few 
feet  above  tide  level,  sparsely  settled,  the  riot  of  vegetation  crowding 


2O 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


every  inch  of  space,  and  even  stretching  far  out  into  the  quiet  earth- 
laden  waters. 

We  passed  in  safety  the  little  Portuguese  built  fort  that  guards 
the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  skirted  the  shore  where  the  great  plant  of 
the  Port  of  Para*  is  located,  and  finally  dropped  anchor  about  a  mile 
from  the  piers.  When  the  great  tropical  contractors  finish  their  work, 
Para  will  have  a  fine  system  of  granite  quays,  at  which  steamers  may 
discharge  and  load,  and  passengers  go  ashore  over  a  gangplank.  Until 
that  is  done,  cargoes  are  handled  in  huge  lighters  covered  with  movable 


RUBBER    WAREHOUSE,    PARA. 

sheet    iron    awnings,    and    passengers    go    ashore    in    launches,    tugs    or 
rowboats. 

I  had  heard  many  stories  of  the  vigilance  of  the  customs  officials, 
and  that  everything  paid  duty.  I,  therefore,  took  only  hand  baggage' 
for  the  first  trip  ashore,  and  even  then  would  have  had  trouble  with  the 
camera  had  not  a  smoking  room  friend  explained  in  profuse  Portuguese 
that  I  was  intimately  connected  with  the  Intendente  (mayor)  and  had 

*The  American  corporation  improving  the  harbor. 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


21 


come  from  New  York  purposely  to  get  his  photograph.  Both  federal 
and  state  customs,  who  were  aboard  almost  as  soon  as  the  anchor— was 
down,  passed  me  at  that.  They  don't  take  any  chances,  however;  a 
passenger  going  ashore  even  for  a  few  minutes  cannot  return  to  his 
boat  without  a  permit  from  a  shore  official,  and  luggage  may  remain 
in  the  custom  house  until  the  Amazon  freezes  over,  if  the  officials  do 
not  choose  to  bestir  themselves.  At  least  so  everybody  says.  To  finish 
my  own  custom  house  experience,  a  newspaper  friend  went  next  day, 


TYPICAL    RUBBKK    OFFICES,    PARA. 


picked  out  my  luggage,  got  it  passed  and  up  to  the  hotel  within  two 
hours.  He  did  this  by  reading  again  and  again  to  the  board  official 
a  personal  estimate  of  the  writer  that  he  himself  had  caused  to  be  put 
in  the  daily  papers.  In  self  defense  the  customs  man  marked  the  luggage. 
The  shore  tug  on  which  we  embarked  took  us  within  a  hundred 
yards  of  the  shore  and  then  tied  up  to  one  of  the  huge  lighters,  where 
we  were  to  be  transferred  to  a  small  rowboat.  We  saw  a  couple  of 
porters  jump  on  the  lighter,  walk  around  its  shelf  like  edge,  and  disappear 


22  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

on  their  way  to  shore.  Rather  than  wait  for  the  boat,  I  followed  and 
wished  I  hadn't,  for  the  other  side  of  the  lighter  was  made  fast  to 
what  was  once  a  long  wooden  pier,  but  the  planking  having  all  been 
removed  there  remained  an  uneven,  rotting  nailstudded  skeleton  with 
the  yellow  water  looking  surprisingly  dirty  and  deep  beneath  it.  I 
got  ashore  all  right,  but  the  broiling  sun  and  my  exertions  put  me  in 
a  perspiration  that  would  fill  a  Turkish  bath  attendant  with  envy. 

We  landed  right  in  the  rubber  district.  There  was  rubber  every- 
where, on  the  sidewalks,  in  the  streets,  on  trucks,  in  the  great  storehouses 
and  in  the  air — that  is,  the  smell  of  it.  We  didn't  pause  to  see  the 
rubber  men  then,  however,  but  went  up  a  narrow  street  to  the  electric 
car  line,  swung  aboard,  and  were  soon  at  the  Cafe  da  Paz  and  located 
in  comfortable  rooms. 

Breakfast  is  12  o'clock  noon,  in  Para,  and  while  I  was  enjoying 
the  meal,  I  took  occasion  to  chat  with  an  American  commercial  traveler 
who  came  to  Brazil  once  a  year.  It  makes  me  proud  to  see  evidences 
of  American  enterprise  in  foreign  countries,.*  so  I  asked  him  a  few 
questions. 

"Do   many    commercial    travelers   visit   this   port?" 

"Lots  of  them,"  said  he. 

"How  many  American  drummers  are  there  in  town  at  present?" 

"I'm  the  only  one,"  was  the  reply. 

"How  many  Germans  are  here?" 

"Eighty,"  said  he. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PARA  A  PLEASANT  SURPRISE — How  THE  "WHITE  WINGS"  WORK  IN  PARA — THE 
YELLOW  FEVER  MOSQUITO  AND  How  TO  DODGE  IT — A  MILITARY  FIRE  DEPARTMENT — 
BITS  OF  EARLY  HISTORY. 

I  MUST  confess  that  I  was  agreeably  disappointed  in  Para.  The 
steamer  gossips  had  said  much  about  the  city,  and  little  that  was 
good.  I  paid  12  milreis  a  day  at  the  hotel  and  found  both  service 
and  food  excellent.  The  gold  milreis,  the  standard  of  the  Brazilian  mone- 
tary system,  is  equal  to  54.6  cents  in  United  States  money.  Business, 
however,  is  conducted  mainly  on  a  paper  money  basis,  with  the  price  of 
the  milreis  varying  with  the  rate  of  London  exchange,  which  averages 
a  little  over  15  pence,  or  30  to  31  cents. 

My  bedroom,  with  its  lofty  bare  walls,  1 2-foot  double  casement, 
and  narrow  bed  with  mosquito  net  draped  over  a  white  parasol 
and  hanging  in  graceful  folds  to  the  floor,  was  just  my  idea  of  a  tropical 
apartment.  To  be  sure,  if  one  lighted  a  lamp  and  put  it  in  the  open  case- 
ment at  night,  it  was  possible  to  coax  mosquitos  in.  Some  visitors  do  this 
and  then  kick.  I  did  not.  I  had  my  cheerful  little  brown  chamber  man 
look  through  the  net  in  mid  afternoon  for  mosquitos,  then  tuck  it  secure- 
ly under  the  mattress,  and  what  few  bites  I  got  did  no  harm. 

As  long  as  we  are  talking  about  mosquitos,  there  are  two  kinds  that 
work  mischief — the  little  black  ones  that  carry  malaria,  and  the  larger 
striped  ones  that  may  or  may  not  provide  yellow  fever.  We  recognized 
both  kinds  and  they  recognized  us,  but  nothing  came  of  it. 

The  day  of  my  arrival  a  Portuguese  physician,  who  was  a  friend  of 
mine  in  Rio,  called  and  left  a  packet  of  powders  with  directions 
to  "take  one  every  morning,"  and  I  would  not  have  yellow  fever.  His 
medicine  was  all  right.  I  took  it  three  days  and  escaped ;  then  somebody 
stole  the  box  and  so  I  couldn't  experiment  further.  Speaking  of  yellow 
fever,  it  would  be  foolish  for  any  one  to  disregard  ordinary  precautions. 
But  to  my  mind  the  pneumonia  of  our  Northern  clime  is  much  more  eas> 
to  get  and  just  about  as  fatal.  Yellow  fever  is  endemic  in  Para.  There 
were  several  deaths  a  week  while  I  was  there,  but  it  was  a  question  if  they 


24  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

were  all  yellow  fever.  Most  of  those  who  died  from  it  were  from  the 
lowest  classes,  who  weaken  their  stomachs  by  drinking  cachaca  and 
then  get  what  may  be  a  low  malarial  fever  or  almost  any  kind  of  bilious 
fever;  it  all  goes  down  as  amarello. 

The  city  itself  is  exceedingly  beautiful.  Near  the  water  front  it 
develops  some  smells  other  than  those  produced  by  rubber,  but  up  in  the. 
city  proper  it  is  fine  and  clean.  The  cafes,  with  tiny  round  tables  out  on 
the  sidewalks,  remind  one  very  much  of  Paris.  In  the  residence  section — 
for  example,  the  Avenida  Nazareth — the  elegant  homes,  luxuriant  tropical 
gardens,  the  well-paved  streets,  and  the  shaded  sidewalks  are  worth  com- 
ing a  long  distance  to  see.  Before  daylight  every  morning,  an  army  of 


THE   AVENIDA    REPUBLICA,    PARA. 
(At  the   right   is   shown   the  Hotel   da   Paz). 

laborers  sweeps  every  city  street,  using  broad  palm  branches,  one  of  which 
does  the  work  of  a  dozen  brooms.  The  litter  is  then  carted  away  in  huge 
covered  tip  carts,  each  drawn  by  a  single  well-fed,  patient-eyed  steer.  Then 
in  the  afternoon  the  heavy  showers  come  and  help  notably  in  this  street 
cleaning.  The  city  in  many  respects  is  very  modern.  Automobiles  are  there 
in  plenty,  and  as  there  are  no  speed  limits,  the  drivers  scorch  up  and  down 
any  and  all  streets  at  35  to  40  miles  an  hour,  but  with  no  accidents  as  far 
as  I  could  observe. 

The  police  service  is  excellent,  and  one  cannot  go  anywhere  after 
dark  without  seeing  a  policeman  at  almost  every  corner. 


OF  THE  AMAZON  25 

The  parks  both  in  the  city  proper  and  beyond  the  city  limits,  as  well 
as  the  magnificent  Botanical  Gardens,  are  beautiful  beyond  compare. 

It  is,  to  be  sure,  a  tropical  city ;  that  is,  it  has  its  hours  of  relaxation 
every  day,  and  its  days  almost  every  week.  Certain  of  the  offices,  for  ex- 
ample, open  at  9  in  the  morning,  close  between  n  and  I,  and  close  again 
at  3.  They  also  keep  the  bars  up  Sunday  and  feast  days,  which  latter  are 
many.  While  the  lesser  officials  watch  the  clock  and  kill  time,  the 


PRACA   DA   INDEPENDENCE,   PARA. 


Intcndente  works  day  and  night,  so  'tis  said,  and  it  is  to  his  energy 
and  foresight  that  many  of  the  beautiful  buildings  and  parks,  as  well 
as  public  utilities,  are  due. 

There  is  an  excellent  fire  department,  with  the  best  tropical  equip- 
ment I  have  seen.  Accustomed  to  the  freedom  of  American  cities,  I 
started  to  walk  into  one  of  the  central  stations  one  day  to  look  it  over,  and 
was  promptly  held  up  by  a  businesslike  young  chap  with  a  Mauser  rifle, 
who  called  for  the  Corporal,  who  reported  to  the  Captain,  who  in  turn  got 


26 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


SALON    IN    THEATRO   DA    PAZ,   PARA. 


the  Commandante.  He  very  politely  detailed  an  officer  to  show  me  through 
the  yards,  stables,  gymnasium,  dormitories,  and  munition  room,  and  to 
examine  the  engines,  hose  carts  and  ladder  trucks.  It  was  the  first  com- 
bination of  barracks  and  engine  house  that  I  had  seen,  and  I  was  much 
interested,  and  said  so  to  the  Commandante,  the  Captain  an:l  the  Corporal, 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY,    PARA. 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


27 


each  of  whom  sainted  politely  with  outstretched  hand  and  raised  hat  as  I 
left.  To  the  sentinel  I  gave  a  big  black  cigar  with  a  gorgeous  band  -on  it, 
and  underneath  the  band  a  revenue  stamp,  which  every  cigar  in  the  Brazils 
is  obliged  to  wear. 

Para  is  a  very  old  city  and  was  actually  founded  four  years  before 
the  New  England  Pilgrims  set  foot  on  Plymouth  Rock.  The  founder 
was  a  fighting  Portuguese  named  Francisco  Branco  who  drove  out  the 
French,  who  had  no  right  there.  For  twenty-five  years,  or  until  1641, 
the  state  of  Para  was  part  of  the  province  of  Maranham  but  in  that  year 
it  became  independent.  Then  the  Dutch  took  possession  of  the  city  but 


CITY    HOSPITAL,    PARA. 


after  a  time  got  weary  and  abandoned  it.  In  1641  there  was  a  strong 
company  formed  in  Portugal  called  the  General  Commercial  Company 
of  Brazil.  It  had  a  monopoly  on  Amazonian  commerce,  it's  only  duty  to 
the  home  government,  besides  making  money  for  it  and  for  themselves, 
being  to  keep  other  trading  vessels  out  of  the  waterway.  It  kept  31 
armed  ships  in  commission  for  this  and  was  in  full  control  for  70  years. 
The  commerce  had  grown  so  that  in  1700  Para  afforded  the  best 
market  in  all  of  the  Brazils,  shipping  great  quantities  of  cacao,  vanilla 
and  indigo,  and  raising  some  coffee.  Cattle  raising  was  also  introduced 
or  a  large  scale  on  the  island  of  Marajo.  In  1741  La  Conc'amine  visited 


28 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


Para,  sent  out  by  the  French  Royal  Geographical  Society,  to  discover 
the  real  shape  of  the  earth.  That  he  did  not  decide  it  was  flat  after 
seeing  the  lay  of  the  land  in  that  part  of  the  world  speaks  much  for  his 
perspicacity.  He  has  also  gone  down  into  history  as  the  first  scientist 
to  report  upon  india-rubber.  The  good  father,  familiar  with  the  metal 
piston  syringes  used  in  Europe,  was  amazed  and  delighted  with  the  rubber 
syringes  made  by  the  Omagua  Indians.  He  was  also  further  amazed 


FIRE    DEPARTMENT    ON    PARADE    IN    FRONT    OF    THEIR    BARRACKS,    PARA. 


when  he  discovered  that  an  Indian  chieftain  giving  a  banquet,  presented 
a  syringe  to  each  guest  for  use  before  eating. 

Up  to  1741  the  state  of  Para  reached  inland  as  far  as  it  chose  but 
in  that  year  the  great  state  of  Amazonas  was  created,  and  definite 
borders  given  to  each. 

When  in  1822  Brazil  separated  itself  from  Portugal,  Para  did  not 
approve,  and  the  government  at  Rio  sent  a  warship  up  to  reason  with 
them.  Its  mere  presence  quieted  things  down  and  there  was  no  blood 


OF  THE  AMAZON  29 

shed.  Thereafter,  however,  there  was  a  strong  republican  sentiment  in 
the  city  and  state  and  in  1889  when  the  Republic  was  declaredr  the 
people  of  Para  welcomed  it  gladly. 

The  city  of  Para  at  the  present  time  has  a  population  of  about 
100,000  people.  It  is  on  gently  undulating  ground  rising  very  gradually 
from  the  river  front.  There  are  no  real  hills  in  the  city  proper  or  near 
it.  Deep  natural  ditches  called  igarapes,  "canoe  paths,"  run  far  inland 
from  the  river,  many  of  them  containing  water  enough  to  float  canoes, 
and  small  boats.  The  tide  rises  and  falls  regularly  in  these  natural 
waterways  sometimes  for  miles  from  the  river.  Not  only  the  mainland 
but  the  islands  have  hundreds  of  these  natural  water  paths  that  afford 
access  to  the  interior  where  road  making  would  be  difficult. 


CHAPTER  V. 

RECEIVED  BY  THE  GOVERNOR  AND  "INTENDENTE" — CLUB  LIFE  ON  THE  AMAZON — 
CARNIVAL  SCENES — BRAZILIAN  HOSPITALITY — HAMBURGER  TOURISTS. 

A  FRIEND  had  suggested,  almost  as  soon  as  I  landed,  the  advisability 
of  visiting  the  Governor  and,  when  I  agreed,  promptly  arranged 
for  an  audience.  But  I  was  in  flannels  and  my  frock  coat  had 
been  carried  off,  I  knew  not  whither,  to  be  pressed.  The  Yankee  Consul, 
however,  stepped  into  the  breach  and  communicating  to  the  Governor 
my  predicament,  the  audience  was  set  for  the  day  following.  To  learn 
all  of  the  details,  I  meandered  over  to  the  consulate,  where  the  Consul 
greeted  me  like  a  long-lost  brother.  If  I  had  come  from  Ohio,  his  native 
State,  I  believe  he  would  have  embraced  me.  A  husky,  warm-hearted,, 
quick-tempered,  bustling  Westerner,  he  won  my  heart  then  and  there,  and 
when  he  came  around  next  morning  in  a  taxicab  with  a  visiting  rubber 
manufacturer  from  the  States  and  a  leading  Brazilian  rubber  merchant, 
I  was  glad  I  was  ready. 

A  frock  coat  and  a  top  hat  are  not  the  most  comfortable  things  in  the 
tropics,  but  we  all  wore  them.  And  as  the  other  three  were  stout  and  I 
am  not,  my  collar  didn't  wilt  until  the  audience  was  over,  which  is  more 
than  they  can  say  for  themselves.  The  Governor  received  us  on  a  sort  ot 
divan  flanked  by  four  chairs,  which  we  occupied.  We  talked  about 
rubber  planting,  in  which  he  is  very  much  interested,  and  he  said  that 
the  State  was  willing  to  do  anything  in  reason  to  encourage  planting 
corporations. 

-"My  friend  on  the  right  is  one  of  the  largest  manufacturers  of  rubber 
in  the  world.  He  uses  only  Para  rubber,  and  his  factory  is  in  Ohier/'  re- 
marked the  Yankee  Consul. 

If  he  had  said  "Erhio"  or  "Oheeo,"  I  think  the  Governor  would  have 
understood  that  he  was  referring  to  the  Mother  of  Presidents.  But  as  it 
was  he  only  looked  blank  and  murmured  a  compliment,  while  the  Visiting 
Manufacturer's  eyes  twinkled  as  he  thought  of  his  last  year's  bill  for  re- 
claimed rubber. 

It  is  difficult  for  a  democratic  American  to  know  how  to  address  high 
toreign  officials.  The  Visiting  Manufacturer  called  the  Governor  "Mon- 

30 


OF  THE  AMAZON  31 

sieur,  the  Signer,"  which  sounded  well.  I  didn't  catch  the  Portuguese 
rendering  of  the  title,  but  turned  into  English  it  reads  "Mister  the  Mister," 
which,  although  respectful,  is  slightly  tautological. 

It  was'nt  really  a  heart-to-heart  talk  as  the  Governor  knew  no  English 
and  we  knew  no  Portuguese,  and  I  think  his  Excellency  was  glad  when 
it  was  all  over.  Not  that  he  showed  it  in  any  way.  He  was  every  mo- 
ment the  courteous,  polished  dignified  gentleman,  and  the  next  day  sent 
his  aide  de  camp  around  to  my  hotel  to  return  the  call,  and,  before  I  left 


TYPICAL    CITY    STREET,    PARA. 

the  city,  sent  me  a  score  of  beautifully  illustrated  books  and  some  marvel- 
ous maps  for  souvenirs  of  my  visit.  His  word  also  placed  everything  in 
the  beautiful  public  library  at  my  disposal. 

We  also  made  a  formal  call  on  the  Intendente.  According  to 
his  enemies,  he  is  another  Richard  Croker.  He  received  us  at  8  o'clock 
in  the  morning  at  his  home,  a  fine  big  palace  of  a  house,  with  broad 
verandas  and  magnificent  apartments  opening  one  into  the  other.  He 
had  with  him  the  secretary  of  the  municipality,  a  huge,  intellectual,  coal- 
black  negro,  who  is  probably  the  finest  orator  in  Northern  Brazil,  and  is 


32  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

called  the  "Booker  Washington  of  South  America."  I  asked  the  Intendcnte 
why,  instead  of  shading  the  streets  of  the  city  with  mango  trees,  he  had 
not  planted  rubber  trees?  He  answered  promptly  that  years  ago 
there  was  much  tuberculosis  in  the  city ;  that  the  mango  gives  off 
an  aromatic  balsam  that  is  very  healing,  and  that  consumption  had  practi- 
cally disappeared  since  the  trees  had  matured.  Besides,  the  poor  people 
practically  lived  upon  the  fruit  of  the  tree  for  weeks  at  a  time. 

The  Visiting  Manufacturer,  who  evidently  had  been  picking  out  the 
wrong  cabs,  said  to  the  Intendcnte : 

" Why  don't  you  fine  cab  drivers  who  do  not  use  rubber  tires?" 

The  reply  came: 

"I  have  done  better  than  that;  I  have  taken  the  tax  off  of  rubber 


fam  ,    v  '  v*  . '  w 


I      Ife 


*m 

J 


PROPOSED     NEW     MUNICIPAL     BUILDING,    PARA. 

tired  vehicles  and  kept  it  on  steel  shod  ones  Now  it's  up  to  you  to  make 
better  tires  so  that  our  drivers  will  all  be  able  to  use  them." 

After  that  we  retired,  the  Intendente  wearing  the  honors. 

Para  has  a  number  of  daily  newspapers.  Two  of  them,  however,  are 
loaders.  One  is  owned  by  the  Intendente,  who  edits  it  vigorously  and 
wisely.  The  other  the  Opposition  Paper,  with  just  as  much  vigor  and 
great  plainness,  disagrees  with  everything  the  government  does,  whatever 
it  is.  Both  have  large  circulations  and  both  are  excellent  papers. 

There  are  a  number  of  good  clubs.  The  Yankee  Consul  put  me  up  at 
the  Para  Club,  where  I  met  the  bankers  and  steamship  and  rubber  men- 
American,  German  and  English — and  had  some  really  good  exercise  at 
billiards  in  spite  of  the  sultriness  that  evening  often  developed. 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


33 


Then  a  rubber  importer  in  New  York  had  written  the  president  of  the 
Sport's  Club,  who  invited  me  to  their  functions.  I  also  went  to  a  ball  at 
the  Universal  Club,  which  must  have  been  a  very  swell  affair,  for  the 
streets  were  lined  with  people  who  got  their  reward  by  seeing  us  go  in 
and  out. 

The  resident  head  of  "Casa  Alden"  also  asked  me  to  soap  my  legs 
and  come  out  to  the  Golf  Club  with  him.  The  saponaceous  preliminary 


EXAMINING    RUBBER    FOR    SHIPMENT. 


that  he  advised  is  for  the  purpose  of  amusing  inoquccns,  small  and 
active  red  bugs  that  live  in  the  grass,  outside  of  the  city  limits,  particularly 
on  golf  links.  If  one's  legs  are  soaped  the  bugs  get  so  engrossed  with 
climbing  up  as  far  as  the  kneee,  then  coasting  down  to  the  instep,  that 
they  forget  all  about  biting. 

More  interesting  than  a  city  are  its  inhabitants.  The  people  at  Para 
are  Brazilians  and  Portuguese.  Although  the  former  come  largely  from 
Portuguese  stock  they  do  not  like  to  be  mistaken  for  natives  of  the  mother 
country,  so  proud  are  they  of  their  own.  They  are  a  sensitive,  hospitable, 


34  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

enthusiastic  race,  with  a  very  decided  genius  for  and  appreciation  of  the 
fine  arts.  Many  of  the  substantial  business  men  are  Portuguese  and  one 
often  sees  exactly  the  same  types  as  once  made  the  men  of  Portugal  the 
foremost  explorers  of  the  world.  The  better  class  in  Para  are  exceedingly 
well  dressed  and  no  politer  people  are  to  be  found  anywhere. 

It  was  "carnival  week"  while  we  were  there,  and  there  was  ample 
opportunity  to  see  the  whole  city  at  play.  As  the  beautiful  floats  passed, 
the  showers  of  confetti  were  constant  and  the  flower  fights  vigorous. 
Then  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  rain  drove  the  revellers  indoors  and  the 
cafes  were  packed  to  suffocation,  a  little  glass  atomizer  made  its  appear- 
ance. It  was  filled  with  perfume  and  sold  for  4  milreis.  How  many 
thousands  were  emptied  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours  who  can  say?  No  one 
escaped  who  came  within  range,  and  for  twenty-four  hours  every  food 
product  in  the  city  tasted  of  perfumery.  Through  all  the  festivities  I  saw 
nothing  but  good-humored  fun,  and  was  wonderfully  impressed  with  the 
graceful,  unconscious  courtesy  of  the  people  of  this  tropical  city. 

Speaking  of  hospitality,  I  wish  I  had  space  to  describe  in  detail  one 
dinner  at  the  home  of  a  wealthy  and  cultured  Brazilian,  a  large  owner  ot 
rubber  lands  in  the  Acre,  that  I  enjoyed.  It  would  take  pages  to  picture 
the  cool  spaciousness  of  the  dwelling,  the  beautiful  courtyard  garden,  with 
its  rare  blooms  and  extensive  orchid  trellises,  and  the  dinner  itself,  simple 
and  appetizingly  elegant,  and  my  host,  who  in  almost  perfect  English 
touched  lightly  on  current  events  in  Europe  and  America  and'  showed  a 
knowledge  of  Paris,  London,  Berlin,  and  New  York  that  made  me  envious , 
but  I  know  I  could'nt  do  it  justice,  and  I  must  pass  it  simply  as  one  of 
my  pleasantest  memories. 

Every  winter  that  great  educational  institution,  the  Hamburg- 
American  line,  gathers  together  some  hundreds  of  untraveled  Americans 
and  projects  them  upon  the  people  of  other  climes.  They  learn  many 
things  in  the  voyages ;  that  is,  they  have  ample  opportunity  to  do  so. 

Sitting  at  midday  breakfast  in  the  Cafe  da  Paz  one  morning,  I  knew 
that  one  of  these  great  excursion  steamers  had  arrived,  for  the  advance 
guard  of  the  army  that  would  soon  overrun  the  city  began  to  trickle  in. 
They  were  a  comely,  well-dressed,  respectable  lot,  and  I  viewed  them  with 
much  interest.  The  self-conscious  swagger  (we  are  all  afflicted  with  it) 
that  the  men  took  on  because  they  felt  that  many  strangers  were  looking 
at  them  in  a  foreign  tongue,  was  most  exhilarating.  The  half-pitying 
glances  that  they  cast  about  were  not  contempt,  but  simply  embarrass- 
ment.- .  They  were  wondering  in  their  innermost  recesses  what  the  well- 
dressed  foreigners  thought  of  these  fine  specimens  of  American  manhood 


36  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

And  those  foreigners,  sitting  erect  over  their  breakfasts,  were  probably 
wondering  what  the  wealthy  and  somewhat  noisy  Americans  thought  of 
the  fine  specimens  of  Brazilian  gentlemen  that  they  saw  for  the  first  time. 
Both  were  self-conscious  to  the  last  degree,  only  the  Americans  showed  it 
and  the  Brazilians  did  not. 

Having  heard  that  Portuguese  was  the  language  of  the  country,  the 
tourists  had  a  feeling  that  no  one  there  understood  English,  or  at  least 
not  very  well,  and  it  came  with  rather  a  shock  to  me  that  I  was  also  with- 
out the  pale.  My  knowledge  came  this  way.  Two  nice  old  chaps  stopped 
in  front  of  me  and  one  said : 

"Do  you  speak  English?" 

"A  leetle,"  was  my  reply. 

"Good!  Well,  we  want  to  take  a  trolley  ride  and  go  as  far  as  we 
can.  Understand  ?  See  ?" 

"Si,  Senor,  you  wish  to  go  up  zee  balloon.     I  can  arrange  him." 

"No,  no,  don't  do  that.  Not  a  balloon,  a  trolley  car — goes  on  rails," 
showing  me  in  pantomime  how  an  electric  car  ran,  and  making  a  buzzing 
scund  that  was  most  illuminating. 

"He  is  off  his  trolley,  yes?"  I  remarked  engagingly  to  his  companion. 
Then  seeing  he  had  left  his  sense  of  humor  aboard  the  boat,  and  they 
were  likely  to  get  away,  I  went  on  hurriedly : 

"Oui,  yes,  si  Senor,  you  wish  the  trolley  tram.  The  zip  car.  It  is  run 
by  zee  door.  Go  out  to  Sousa.  It's  quite  a  long  ride  out  to  Sousa  and  a 
pietty  one,  and  if  you  stay  aboard  the  car,  it  will  bring  you  back  saving 
a  transfer." 

I  got  interested  in  describing  these  details  and  forgot  my  accent.  Just 
as  I  finished  one  of  the  inquirers  said : 

"You  speak  very  good  English."    <• 

"So  do  you,"  said  I. 

"But  I  come  from  Boston,"  was  his  retort. 

"So  do  I,"  was  mine. 

I  forgot  to  say  that  before  I  left  my  table  two  tourists  sitting  at 
another  facing  me  were  enjoying  huge  glasses  of  excellent  Brazilian  beer. 
One  of  them  desirous  of  knowing  the  brew,  held  his  glass  aloft  (he  wore 
cotton  gloves,  by  the  way,  to  protect  his  hands  from  yellow  fever  mos- 
quitos)  and,  addressing  me  cordially,  said: 

"Pilsener?     Is  this  Pilsener  beer?" 

"Thank  you,"  I  replied  courteously;  "I  drink  only  zee  chmpagnc. 
I  should  be  glad  of  a  leetle  bottle."  And  I  beckoned  to  his  waiter,  while 
he  gulped  the  remainder  of  his  drink  and  bolted. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PARA'S  "WALL  STREET" — How  THE  NATIVES  ADULTERATE  CRUDE  RUBBER — 
EXAMINING  FOR  ADULTERATIONS — HARD  WORKING  TROPICAL  LONGSHOREMEN — 
FRIENDLY  RIVALRY  BETWEEN  PARA  AND  MANAOS — WHERE  RUBBER  MARKETS  ARE 
REALLY  MADE. 

THE  center  of  the  rubber  interest  in  Para  is,  very  naturally,  where 
the  houses  of  the  great  importers,  or  rather  exporters,  are  located. 
These  are  on  the  water  front  and  are  not  only  easily  located  by 
the  pleasant  smell  of  rubber  with  which  the  air  is  permeated,  but  during 
crop  arrivals  by  the  great  quantities  of  rubber  arriving  and  departing  in 
bulk  and  in  cases,  often  temporarily  piled  everywhere  and  anywhere.  The 
carelessness  with  which  this  valuable  product  is  handled  would  be  a  shock 
to  any  member  of  the  Rubber  Stealings  Committee.  Evidently  there  is 
no  rubber  thievery  in  Para. 

A  narrow  street  running  from  the  water  front  up  into  the  city,  known 
*.s  "Wall  street,"  is  where  most  of  the  rubber  purchasing  is  done.  When 
a  steamer  arrives  with  rubber  for  the  various  aviadorcs,  they  gather  on 
this  street  or  in  an  open  room  that  leads  off  from  it,  and  the  representa- 
tives of  the  big  buyers  being  present,  the  various  lots  are  disposed  of. 
There  are  brokers,  but  they  do  only  a  fraction  of  the  business. 

Each  of  the  rubber  houses  employs  a  very  capable  body  of  men  who 
receive  the  rubber,  cut  and  examine  it,  and  pack  it  in  boxes  for  shipment. 
The  cutting  of  the  rubber  is  an  absolute  necessity,  as  some  lots  are  baclly 
adulterated.  This  adulteration  takes  three  forms :  In  one,  a  subtance 
tabatinga  is  added  to  the  latex,  giving  a  short  fibered  rubber  that 
is  wholly  without  nerve.  The  second  is  the  addition  of  farinha, 
which  increases  bulk  and  weight,  but  also  makes  the  rubber  very  short  and 
pasty.  The  third  is  a  mixture  of  sand  and  farinha  which  is  perhaps  the 
worst  of  all. 

The  adulteration  of  fine  Para  by  the  addition  of  farinha  or  sand  is 
not  new  by  any  means.  Back  in  the  ?5o's  Herndon  reports  that  the 
natives  thus  "diluted"  rubber.  The  gatherer  does  not  put  the  farinha  in 
altogether  for  the  sake  of  adding  weight ;  its  presence  causes  a  quicker 

33 


OF  THE  AMAZON  39 

coagulation,  and  if  he  gets  in  too  much  he  adds  a  little  lemon  juice  and 
i«  able  to  produce  exceeding  smooth  films,  free  from  bubbles  and~ve~ry 
quickly.  The  rubber  looks  beautifully,  that  is,  until  a  minute  red  ant 
burrows  into  it  and  eats  the  farinha  out.  Then  when  it  is  cut  open  the 
whole  of  the  fraud  is  apparent  and  it  is  rejected.  Of  course  it  some- 
times happens  that  farinha  rubber  is  shipped  before  the  ants  get  a  chance 
at  it,  and  the  amount  present  may  be  so  small  that  the  examiner  may  not 
note  it  when  he  cuts  the  pelles  open.  It  is  necessary  for  the  manufacturer, 
however,  to  know  whether  it  is  there  or  not,  as  the  strength  of  the 
rubber  will  show  an  extra  shrinkage  if  it  is  present. 


jyrf  '•'••/??•'  '.V- ! 


PARA  RUBBER  IN   HENERATAGODA  GARDENS,  CEYLON,' 

Grown   from   seed   secured   in    Brazil    in    1876.      These   trees   have   furnished    seeds   for   more   than 
600,000   acres   of   planted   Hcvea   in   the   Far    East. 

A  very  simple  test  is  to  have  a  water  solution  of  iodine  and 
potassium  iodine  which  may  be  applied  with  a  brush  to  the  freshly 
cut  surface.  If  farin-ha  is  there  the  surface  will  turn  from  a  yellowish 
mahogany  color  to  blue. 

Coarse  Para  or  Negroheads  have  ever  offered  to  the  careless  or 
dishonest  scringuicro  an  irresistable  chance  to  cheat.  The  ball  is  made 
up  normally  of  strips  of  rubber  that  have  coagulated  on  the  cuts  in  the 
trees  and  from  drippings  during  smoking.  How  easy  to  put  in  a  few 
stones,  a  bunch  of  burlap  sticky  with  half  coagulated  rubber,  or  a 
billet  of  wood  as  heavy  as  iron.  It  gives  more  weight  and  at  the  store 


4o 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


he  is  sure  to  get  extra  supplies  for  it.  These  things  are  therefore  added 
and  carefully  hidden  by  an  outer  coat  of  rubber  and  it  is  months  usually 
before  his  sin  can  find  him  out.  The  cutting  of  every  pelle  by  the 
exporter  however,  and  the  rejection  of  those  which  are  not  up  to  grade, 
has  done  away  with  a  very  much  of  this  sort  of  adulteration. 

To  refer  again  to  "Wall  street,"  time  was  when  all  the  rubber  buying 
was  done  in  a  saloon  there,  but  that  is  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  while  some 
is  still  sold  in  the  "street,"  most  of  the  purchasing  takes  place  in  the  offices 
of  the  great  operators.  Most  of  the  rubber  is  shipped  in  cases  made  of 


BRAZILIAN    MACHINE   FOR    SMOKING    PARA   RUBBER    MILK. 

American  pine.  I  saw  a  few  boxes  made  of  native  wood,  but  the  lumber 
was  heavy  and  brittle  and  not  to  be  compared  with  the  imported  white 
pine,  either  for  safety  or  ease  in  working. 

The  rubber  warehouse  men  are  perhaps  the  best  paid  of  any  laborers 
in  the  city.  They  receive  about  $4  a  day,  and  extra  for  night  work  and 
Sundays.  When  rubber  is  arriving  they  work  willingly  night  and  day, 
often  drenched  to  the  skin  by  heavy  tropical  downpours,  which  they  don't 
seem  to  mind  in  the  least.  But  the  laborers  are  not  the  only  hard  workers. 
When  the  gum  is  arriving,  the  exporter,  if  he  is  in  the  market,  is  kept  ex- 


OF  THE  AMAZON  41 

ceedingly  busy.  A  single  small  steamer  coming  in  from  the  islands,  where 
she  stopped  at  perhaps  a  hundred  landings,  may  have  rubber  from  200 
or  300  shippers,  consigned  to  75  or  80  different  houses.  All  of  these 
interests,  seringueiros  and  aviadores,  knowing  more  or  less  about  the 
market,  are  intent  on  getting  the  best  price  and  also  on  the  passing  of  any 
doubtful  rubber  without  question.  To  do  his  own  house  justice  and  to 
satisfy  the  sellers  keeps  the  exporter  very  busy,  and  he  often  works  nights, 
but  not  out  in  the  pouring  rain. 

The  price  at  which  rubber  is  sold  in  Para  and  Manaos  dominates 


TYPE    OF    STEAMER    USED    IN    THE    AMAZONIAN    BASIN    FOR    RUBBER    TRANSPORTATION. 

the  spirit  of  the  people,  and  in  boom  times,  when  money  is  plenty,  it  is 
spent  most  lavishly.  A  rich  Brazilian,  even  if  it  is  only  temporary  wealth 
due  to  a  sudden  rise  in  the  rubber  market,  will  buy  anything,  from  an 
automobile  to  an  opera  troupe,  and  plank  down  the  cash  with  joy. 

Para  being  the  mother  of  rubber  export  has  not  been  without  twinges 
cf  jealousy  over  the  wonderful  development  of  her  daughter,  Manaos. 
She  never  wished  the  child  to  come  out  of  swaddling  clothes,  because 
she  saw  a  decrease  in  rubber  revenues  as  a  result.  Therefore  "Manaos  is 
unhealthy  and  not  a  place  to  visit ;"  "everything  in  rubber  worth  seeing  can 
be  seen  at  Para,"  et  cetera. 


42  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

Manaos  also  affects  to  scorn  Para.  "She's  old-fashioned  and  con- 
servative;" uher  rubber  forests  are  rapidly  being  exhausted,"  and  so  on. 
Then  when  the  representatives  of  these  two  great  cities  meet  they  are  good 
friends  and  patriotic  Brazilians.  Their  attitude  reminds  an  American  of 


DISHONESTLY  PREPARED   STRIP  RUBBER. 


the  rivalry  between  Chicago  and  St.  Louis.     It  harms  no  one,  and  it  makes 
both  cities  more  alert  and  aggressive. 

It  doesn't  take  very  much  perspicacity  to  figure  out  the  fact  that  the 
rubber  market  is  not  made  on  the  Amazon,  but  in  the  great  outside 
centers,  like  London  and  New  York.  During  the  crop  season  in  Para 


ROPE    CONTENTS    OF    THE    ABOVE. 


the  operators  are  in  constant  communication  with  their  principals  in 
Europe  or  America,  and  in  semi-constant  touch  with  their  houses  at 
Manaos.  Each  firm  has  its  own  cipher.  None  of  them  know  each 
other's  cipher ;  whether  they  know  the  rest  of  their  numerals,  it  is  hard 
to  say. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

To  THE  "ISLAND  OF  TIGER  CATS" — "OVERTAPPED"  RUBBER  TREES — RUBBER  TREE 
DISEASE  UP  THE  AMAZON — FOUR-EYED  FISH  OF  THE  IGARAPE — EXPLOSIVE  RUBBER 
NUTS — NIPPED  BY  A  CENTIPEDE. 

ONE  of  the  leading  exporters  in  Para  is  as  wonderful  producer 
of  artistic  photographs.  It  is  natural  that  he  should  have 
taken  boat  journeys  through  the  islands  and  up  and  down  the 
great  rivers,  not  only  in  search  of  rubber  knowledge  but  in  pursuit 
of  his  own  particular  fad.  It  was  most  gratefully,  therefore,  that 
I  accepted  his  invitation  to  take  a  launch  trip  to  Isla  des  Oncas,  the 
great  island  that  lies  some  miles  to  the  south  of  the  city.  This  island 
is  cut  in  two  by  a  narrow  natural  canal  which  at  high  water  is  navigable 
by  canoes  and  rowboats.  To  catch  the  tide  meant  an  early  start.  So 
I  awoke  the  Yankee  Consul  and  the  Visiting  Manufacturer  at  4  o'clock, 
and  after  coffee  we  hastened  down  to  the  water  front,  arriving  just 
as  the  Exporter  appeared,  with  several  porters  laden  with  eatables  and 
drinkables. 

To  cross  to  the  island  we  embarked  in  a  little  three-cylinder  kerosene 
launch  and  soon  were  chuff-chuffing  across  the  bay  for  the  ''Island  of 
Tiger  Cats."  Once  over  to  the  mangrove-fringed  shore,  we  coasted 
up  and  down  until  finally  the  sharp  eyes  of  our  pilot  detected  the  little 
opening  of  the  channel.  We  were  then  transferred  to  the  rowboat 
that  had  been  trailing  behind. 

The  launch  turned  back  and  we  entered  the  dim  tree-shaded  channel. 
In  some  places  it  was  so  narrow  that  there  was  barely  room  for  the 
oars;  in  other  places  it  was  from  10  to  20  feet  wide.  The  water  was 
the  same  yellow  brown  tint  that  the  whole  Amazon  affects.  From  the 
start  we  saw  rubber  trees — the  old  settlers  that  had  been  tapped  for 
generations,  their  trunks  swollen,  scarred  and  disfigured  by  thousands 
of  machadinha  strokes.  Often  pole  stagings  had  been  erected  about 
them,  crude  contrivances  to  allow  the  rubber  gatherer  to  reach  hitherto 
untapped  surfaces. 

The  trunks  of  the  trees  as   far  as  one  could  reach  were  not  only 

43 


44 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


MANGROVES,    SHORE    OF    ONCAS    ISLAND,    NEAR    PARA. 


swollen  as  if  they  had  woody  elephantiasis  but  the  surface  was  gnarled, 
twisted  and  roughened.  This  surface  was  covered  with  a  very  thin 
attenuated  bark,  that  often  yielded  but  little  latex.  The  real  trouble 
is  not  that  the  tree  has  been  overtapped  but  that  the  cuts  have  been 
too  deep  and  into  the  wood.  Up  to  the  present  time  there  is  no  record 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


45 


of  any  overlapping  of  the  Hevea  trees  if  only  the  lactiferous  ducts 
are  severed  without  reaching  the  cambium.  As  for  disease  in  rubber 
trees,  we  are  apt  to  jump  at  the  conclusion  that  the  jungle-grown 
wild  tree  is  healthier  than  its  plantation  prototype. 

When  the  canker  appeared  on  the  planted  Para  trees  in  Ceylon 
all  the  world  knew  of  it.  At  once  the  cry  was  that  nature  abhorred 
man's  attempt  to  coerce  her.  That  tropical  trees  could  not  be  planted 
in  groves — if  they  were,  that  nature  would  send  disease  or  pest  to 
restore  the  equilibrium.  To  an  extent  this  is  doubtless  true.  It,  how- 
ever, assumes  that  the  Hevea  in  its  native  forest  surrounded  by  trees  of 


IGARAPE,    ONCAS    ISLAND. 


other  kinds  is  free  from  fungi  and  destructive  insects.  This,  however, 
is  not  the  case.  Dr.  Hennings  of  Berlin,  Dr,  Huber  of  Para,  and  Dr. 
Ule,  all  have  discovered  parasitic  fungi  on  the  Hevea  and  on  the  Castilloa 
Ulei.  Not  in  one  place,  but  from  the  lower  Amazon  up  to  the  Andean 
slopes.  The  fact  is  that  just  as  the  well  fed,  right  living  civilized  man  is 
healthier,  stronger,  and  more  productive  than  the  savage,  so  the  cul- 
tivated Hevea,  whether  in  Amazonia  or  elsewhere,  will  be  a  larger, 
stronger,  healthier  tree  than  that  which  struggles  up  in  the  inhospitable 
jungle. 

But  to  return  to  our  boat  journey.     On  the  surface  of  the  igarape 


46  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

through  which  we  were  passing  often  appeared  a  curious  little  fish, 
with  a  pair  of  bulging  eyes  in  the  top  of  the  head  to  view  the  upper  world, 
and  another  pair  underneath  to  view  the  nether  world.  As  we  got  further 
into  the  island  the  waterway  broadened.  We  passed  many  little  river 
huts,  and  occasionally  met  a  canoe  whose  occupants  courteously  and 
gravely  bade  us  bom  dia.  The  curving  stream,  fringed  with  palms, 


ASHORE   ON   ONCAS   ISLAND. 


hugh  mocco-mocco  plants  with  white  calla  like  blossoms,  and  great 
ceiba  trees,  was  wonderfully  beautiful. 

Of  animal  life  we  saw  little ;  of  birds  there  were  parrots  and  hawks ; 
of  animals,  one  black  monkey ;  and  of  insects,  great  blue  butterflies, 
and  one  huge  bird  catching  spider  as  big  as  a  saucer. 

Our   botanist   also   pointed   out   a   cow   tree,    that   looked    as    if   it 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


47 


had  been  much  milked.  The  natives  use  the  milk  as  a  beverage  with  no 
serious  after  effects.  It  is  known  as  the  "massaranduba"  and  it  secretes 
cieamy  latex,  said  to  be  very  pleasant  to  the  taste.  The  milk  after 
standing,  ferments  and  partly  coagulates,  the  product  being  an 
exceedingly  sticky,  resinous  mass  that  may  or  may  not  contain  a  certain 
amount  of  india-rubber.  It  is  said  that  on  the  upper  rivers  certain  of 
the  balata  trees  furnish  milk  that  the  natives  also  drink. 


A   MUCH  TAPPED  RUBBER  TREE,   PARA. 


We  went  ashore  and  filled  our  pockets  with  nuts  of  the  rubber 
tree  as  souvenirs.  The  nut  of  the  Hcvea  looks  something  like  that  of 
the  horse  chestnut  only  it  is  three  parted,  containing  three  speckled 
seeds.  They  look  like  smooth,  slightly  flattened  nutmegs.  As  these 
seeds  ripen,  the  outer  envelope  bursts  with  a  sound  like  a  far  away 
pistol  shot  and  the  rich  oily  seeds  drop  to  the  ground.  A  number  of 
rodents,  the  agouti  in  particular,  at  the  sound  of  this  popping  make 
for  the  foot  of  the  tree.  Here  thev  often  encounter  a  verv  venomous 


48  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

snake   which  lies  in  wait  at  the  foot  of  the  rubber  tree  for  just  such 
hungry  seed  seekers. 

As  we  were  emerging  into  the  river  on  the  other  side  of  the 
island  a  sudden  shower  fell,  and  we  all  held  a  tarpaulin  above  our  heads 
until  it  was  over.  It  was  then  that  my  companion  exclaimed  that  a 
wasp  had  stung  him.  The  wound  didn't  look  like  a  bee  sting,  as  there 


BRAZILIAN    BUSH    KNIVES. 

were  two  little  punctures,  close  together.  Being  on  the  back  of  his 
hand  he  was  advised  to  suck  it  as  a  precaution,  which  he  did,  and  no 
inflammation  followed. 

The  rain  having  ceased,  the  tarpaulin  was  put  away,  when  some- 
body said  "There  goes  a  centipede,"  and  we  caught  a  fleeting  glimpse 
of  something  that  looked  like  an  elongated  earwig  which  ran  into  the 
Visiting  Manufacturer's  pocket.  It  was  rather  a  trying  experience, 


MACHADINHA,        OR     RUBBER     TAPPING     AXE. 

but  he  never  turned  a  hair  and  sat  perfectly  calm,  while  the  Exporter 
with  a  pair  of  small  scissors  very  gingerly  turned  the  pocket  inside  out, 
but  did  not  find  a  cent  or  pede,  either.  A  moment  later  the  insect  was 
discovered  in  the  fold  in  his  trousers,  and  very  dexterously  nipped  with 
scissors  and  thrown  overboard.  Then  we  all  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief, 
for  the  bite,  though  not  dangerous,  is  apt  to  give  one  fever  for  a  few  days. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  WONDERFUL  MUSEU  GOILDI  WITH  ITS  FAUNA,  ANIMATE  AND  INANIMATE — 
RUBBER  IN  THE  BOTANICAL  GARDENS — THE  WORLD'S  GREATEST  AUTHORITY  ON  THE 
'•HEVEA"  AND  His  TROPICAL  WORKSHOP — "SAPIUMS"  AND  BALATA  IN  THE  AMAZON — 
TAPPING  RUBBER  TREES  AT  DAYBREAK — THE  IDENTIFICATION  OF  "CAUCHO" — BRAVING 
THE  "DANGERS"  OF  THE  UPRIVER  JOURNEY. 

I  HAD  visited  the  Museu  Goeldi  many  times  while  in  Para,  and  each 
time  was  more  and  more  impressed  with  the  natural  wonders 
of  Brazil.  The  museum  is  crowded  with  birds,  insects,  reptiles, 
animals — or,  rather,  their  carefully  'preserved  cadavers — and  a  week 
of  careful  looking-  would  not  enable  one  to  observe  in  detail  a  half 
of  what  is  there.  The  result  is  the  visitor  goes  away  with  a  misty  and 
mixed  recollection  of  moths  as  big  as  shingles,  flies  the  size  of  one's 
hand,  beetles  bigger  than  mice,  great  lizards,  monstrous  alligators,  and 
snakes  of  all  sizes,  colored  in  infinite  variety.  Birds  grotesque,  birds 
beautiful;  animals  unbelievably  strange,  and  fish  of  such  infinite  variety 
that  imagination  itself  pauses  helpless  in  stunned  surprise. 

In  cages,  dens,  and  enclosures  surrounding  the  museum  buildings 
are  also  housed  a  goodly  number  of  living  representatives  of  those  in 
the  cases  inside.  Not  that  I  spent  all  of  my  time  either  in  the  museum 
or  the  zoological  garden,  for  there  is  the  botanical  garden  also.  And 
furthermore,  there  is  Dr.  Jacques  Huber,  who  knows  more  about  the 
Hevea  species  than  any  one  else  in  the  world,  who  has  gathered  many 
of  the  typical  sorts  about  him,  and  is  steadily  observing  them  day  by 
day  as  they  develop  into  mature  trees. 

The  doctor,  by  the  way,  in  the  course  of  our  many  conversations, 
suggested  a  new  theory  for  the  greater  "nerve"  in  smoked  rubber  than 
appears  in  the  unsmoked.  He  explained  that  a  pcllc.  from  the  time 
it  is  formed,  undergoes  a  natural,  continuous,  solidifying  pressure,  caused 
by  the  evaporation  of  the  water  from  the  outside  layers  and  their 
consequent  contraction.  Unsmoked  rubber,  on  the  other  hand,  put 
up  either  in  sheet  or  rectangular  block  form,  experiences  no  such  pressure. 

49 


50  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

The  theory  seemed  to  me  worthy  of  note.  I  remember  that  in  Panama, 
in  gathering  Castilloa  rubber,  we  rigged  some  crude  presses  to  get  the 
water  out,  and  in  some  instances,  where  the  rubber  was  left  for  a  long 
time,  its  strength  was  greatly  enhanced. 

As  I  have  said,  the  worthy  Doctor  knows  the  Heveas.  He  has 
quietly,  patiently,  and  persistently  specialized  on  them  for  years.  And 
it  was  with  exceeding  interest  that  I  heard  him  state  that  the  Hevea 
Brasiliensis  is  after  all,  the  one  producer  of  really  high  grade  rubber. 
He  knew  them  all  from  the  Brasiliensis  to  the  Spruceana,  and  named 
twenty  varieties  and  their  characteristics  off  hand.  One  that  was  new 


NURSERY    OF    YOUNG    PARA    RUBBER    TREES,    MUSEU    GOHLDT. 


to  me  was  the  Randiana,  named  after  the  orchid  collector  Rand  whom  New 
Englanclers  will  remember  and  regret.  A  very  thrifty  specimen  of  this 
is  in  the  gardens,  but  it  gives  no  latex.  It  is  this  eminent  botanist's 
opinion  that  many  other  H erects  will  be  discovered,  and  he  is  ever  on 
the  outlook  for  them. 

Nor  is  his  attention  concentrated  upon  the  trees  that  produce  fine 
Para  rubber.  The  Sapiums,  which  are  most  plentiful  throughout  the  Ama- 
zon country,  are  known  to  him  equally  well,  and  he  has  gathered  ten 
varieties  into  the  garden  for  observation.  Most  of  them  produce  a  latex 
that  is  exceedingly  resinous.  One  or  two  species,  however,  give  a  good 


OF  THE  AMAZON  51 

grade  of  rubber,  and  were  labor  plenty  they  would  be  well  worth 
exploitation. 

I  had  many  samples  of  balata  from  the  Amazon  region  and  took 
occasion  to  ask  him  of  the  Mimusops  in  the  Brazils.  Just  as  much  at 
home  on  that  topic  as  on  Hevea,  he  named  a  dozen  varieties  and  told 
of  sections  where  the  trees  are  abundant,  although  the  gum  is  not 
gathered  or  valued  at  present  in  Brazil. 

The  learned  Doctor  has  worked  for  many  years  in  Brazil,  often- 
times I  fear  without  the  appreciation  that  his  energy  and  industry  have 
deserved.  At  last,  however,  both  the  government  and  the  world  at  large 
seem  to  be  awakening  to  his  value.  What  he  had  long  wished  for, 


MUSEU    GOELDI — ADMINISTRATION    BUILDING. 


an  experiment  station,  has  been  established  about  150  kilometers  from  the 
city,  situated  on  the  railroad  that  runs  down  to  Braganc;a,  and  he  is 
much  encouraged.  By  the  by,  he  has  invented  a  tapping  tool  that  looked 
pretty  good  to  me.  I  went  out  to  the  gardens  at  daybreak  and  saw  him 
''herringbone"  some  Hcvea  Brasilicnsis  trees  with  it.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  that  they  gave  exactly  the  same  product  for  their  size  as  Hevea 
trees  in  the  Far  East. 

The  rubber  known  as  cancho  had  been  on  the  market  years  before 
the  tree  that  produces  it  was  identified  botanically.  For  a  long  time 
it  was  claimed  that  it  was  an  Hcvca  product  In  1898,  however,  Dr. 
Huber  visited  the  Ucayali  river  and,  after  much  searching,  was  able  to 
find  a  few  caucho  trees.  The  difficulty  in  finding  them  was  due  to  the 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


fact  those  that  remained  were  growing  in  dense  forests  far  removed 
from  the  waterways.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  tree  is  cut  down 
in  every  instance  to  secure  the  rubber ;  hence  its  scarcity.  At  the  time 
of  his  visit  it  was  not  blossoming  or  fruiting,  and  only  leaves  and  twigs 
could  be  secured,  but  these  proved  it  to  be  a  Castilloa.  Dr.  Huber  and 
the  Italian  botanist  Dr.  Buscalioni  agreed  that  it  must  be  the  Castilloa 
elastica,  and  it  was  not  until  some  years  later  that  it  was  identified  as 
a  different  species,  Castilloa  Ulei. 

To  those  who  are  interested  in  the  sources  of  rubber,  caucho  was 
for  a  long  time  thought  of  as  existing  only  on  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Amazon,  notably  in  Peru.  Dr.  Huber  and  his  colleagues,  however, 


MUSEU    GOELDI — RESERVOIR. 


found   it   in    practically    the    whole    region    of    the    lower    Amazon,    t 
Trombetas,   Tapajos,   Xingu,   and   Tocantins    rivers.      Indeed,    it   is   be- 
coming evident  .that  where  Heveas  flourish  Castilloas  grow  eqnallly  well, 
and  the  reverse  is  also  true.     During  the  year   1909  the  state  of  Pa 
shipped  nearly  1,000  tons  of  caucho. 

I  dislike  exceedingly  to  confess  it,  but  I  got  badly  frightened 
Para  and  came  very  near  taking  boat  back  to  Barbados  and  sending  the 
usual  excuses  to  friends  in  Manaos,  such  as  "important  cables,"  ''business 
complications,"  or  the  like.  It  came  about  this  way.  The  friendly 
Americans  and  English  resident  there  are  delighted  to  receive  and  en- 
tertain fellow  countrymen.  Many  of  their  visitors,  however,  are  woe- 
fully unfitted  for  tropical  life  and  make  ideal  "fever  food."  Others  pay 


41, 

: 


w 


3        (X 

«     w 

J 

a      K 


bo     oq 


54  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

no  attention  to  cautions,  but  go  out  and  hunt  for  fever,  and  find  it. 
Then  resident  friends  are  obliged  to  answer  frantic  cables,  furnish 
physicians  and  nurses,  and  stand  the  brunt  of  all  the  worry.  Oftentimes, 
too,  they  supply  the  funds  necessary  for  cure  or  decent  interment.  They 


THE    TREE    FROM     WHICH    CAUCHO    COMES.    ''CASTILLOA    ULEI." 


are  perfectly  willing  to  do  this — that  is  the  former — and  their  kindness 
and  generosity  are  spontaneous  and  without  limit,  but  the  strain  tells. 

If  they  are  somewhat  fearful  for  a  visiting  friend  in  Para  they 
are  doubly  so  for  one  who  goes  to  Manaos.  When,  therefore,  one 
after  another  showed  me  cables  and  letters  full  of  fever  stories  from 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


55 


the  upriver  rubber  center  it  began  to  make  an  impression,  and  I  found 
myself  formulating  reasons  for  dodging.  But  if  one  will  only  dose 
one's  self  with  a  sufficiency  of  forebodings,  a  reaction  is  sure  to  come, 
and  courage  returns.  This  was  my  case.  And  of  a  sudden  I  found 
myself  determined  to  discover  what  Manaos  would  do  for  me.  Further 


"HEVEA  RANDIANA" — A  BARREN  RUBBER  TREE. 

than  that  came  the  belief  that  with  common  sense  and  care  I  should 
probably  get  through  all  right.  They  were  exceedingly  nice,  those 
friends  of  mine,  when  I  rendered  my  decision.  One,  with  a  whimsical 
smile,  said : 

"It's  sure  to  be  interesting  anyhow.     Say  your  prayers  and  trust 
in  c  as  car  a" 


56  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

Another  secured  for  me  the  cabin  de  luxe  on  a  fine  Hamburg-Ameri- 
can boat  and  outlined  a  river  journey  princely  in  its  comfort  and  very 
speedy.  This  I  refused,  although  with  real  regret.  I  had  my  eye  on 
one  of  the  smaller  Booth  boats  that  had  accommodations  for  only  six- 
teen passengers  and  would  carry  on  that  trip  only  two,  myself  and 
companion.  It  was  a  freight  boat,  going  upriver  almost  empty,  which 
would  mean  hugging  the  shores  to  avoid  the  current.  It  was  a  rubber 
boat,  and  its  captain  had  been  making  the  river  journey  for  30  years. 
There  would  be  no  shufBeboard,  no  pleasantly  wasted  hours  in  the  smok- 
ing room,  no  fascinating  acquaintances.  All  of  which  would  give  me 
added  time  and  opportunity  for  observation  and  work. 

We  boarded  the  boat  in  the  early  afternoon  and  the  Captain 
promptly  gave  us  the  run  of  the  ship.  There  was  no  social  hall  but  the 
chart  house  deck,  above  which  was  the  bridge,  was  roomy,  high  above 
the  water,  screened  from  sun  and  rain,  and,  although  the  Captain's 
private  domain,  he  made  it  ours  for  the  river  voyage.  If  I  had  out- 
fitted a  swell  ocean  going  yacht  the  equipment  would  not  have  been  as 
practical  as  that  afforded  by  this  steady,  roomy,  matronly  freighter. 

The  anchor  came  up  about  5  in  the  afternoon  and,  facing  a  pleasant 
breeze,  with  half  of  the  propeller  out  of  water,  "grinding  air,"  we  started 
out  through  the  tangle  of  low,  heavily-wooded  islands  that  cluster  about 
the  mouths  of  the  Para  and  Tocantins  rivers,  heading  for  the  "Narrows" 
in  the  care  of  two  Indian  pilots  who  knew  the  many  channels  day  or 
night  by  instinct.  Unless  it  came  on  to  rain  very  heavily  we  would  run 
all  night.  It  was  soon  too  dark  to  see  much,  so  I  turned  in. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

How  THE  PARA  RUBBER  TREE  GOT  ITS  NAME — A  BIT  OF  BOTANICAL  HISTORY — 
GRADES  OF  BRAZILIAN  RUBBER — HEBREW  PEDDLERS  ON  THE  AMAZON — DISTRIBUTION 
OF  THE  INDUSTRY — OUTFITTING  THE  RUBBER  GATHERERS — THE  RUBBER  GATHERER 
AND  How  HE  LIVES — LOCATING  THE  PARA  RUBBER  TREES — TAPPING  AND  COLLECTING 
OF  RUBBER  DESCRIBED  IN  DETAIL. 

THE  present  botanical  name  for  the  tree  that  produces  the  best 
grade  of  Para  rubber  is  Hevea  Brosiliensis.  Those  who  write 
informing  articles  on  India-rubber  from  ancient  encyclopedias  are 
very  apt  to  speak  of  the  tree  as  Siphonia  elastica.  As  a  result  there  has 
been  some  confusion.  This  is  what  happened. 

In  1775  the  botanist  Aublet  named  a  Para  tree  found  in  French 
Guiana  as  Hcvca  Guyahensis. 

In  1807  Persoon  thought  Siphonia  elastica  sounded  better  and  so 
renamed  it.  The  name  stuck  for  about  60  years. 

Then  Miiller  reestablished  the  name  Hevea  and  the  whole  botanical 
world  to-day  stands  by  his  decision. 

The  rubber  that  is  collected  in  the  state  of  Para  comes  in  three 
grades:  fine,  (/z/m),  medium  (cutrafina)  and  coarse  (scruaniby).  This 
latter  grade  is  known  in  England  as  negro  heads.  The  rubber  gathered 
on  the  island  of  Mara  jo  and  other  islands  and  on  a  portion  of  the  main- 
land is  classed  as  Islands  rubber.  An  especially  good  grade  known 
as  Caviana  comes  from  the  island  of  that  name.  Other  rubbers  produced 
chiefly  on  tributaries  of  the  lower  Amazon  are  Cameta  from  the  Tocantins 
river;  Xingu  from  the  river  of  that  name  and  Itaituba  from  the  Tapajos. 
Upriver  rubber  is  the  general  name  for  all  of  the  rubber  coming  from  the 
state  of  Amazonas  and  the  upper  tributaries  of  the  Amazon.  This  is, 
of  course,  Para  rubber  in  the  three  grades  aforementioned  and  is  graded 
as  Manaos  and  Madeira.  The  products  of  the  great  rubber  producing 
territory  in  Bolivia,  Peru  and  the  Acre  are  also  known  as  Upriver. 

Curious  bits  of  history  as  to  the  early  trade  in  Para  rubber  are 
constantly  cropping  up.  Back  in  the  early  'go's  the  lower  Amazon  was 
overrun  by  Hebrew  peddlers  who  went  about  in  boats,  supplying  whatever 

57 


58  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

would  tempt  the  rubber  gatherer  and  for  a  time  they  practically  monopo- 
lized the  rubber  trade  there.  The  State,  however,  put  a  tax  of  $500  a 
head  upon  them  and  while  it  did  not  actually  drive  them  out  of  business, 
it  checked  them  so  that  other  merchants  had  a  chance. 

Fine  Para  is  brought  to  the  city  in  bulk,   the   coarse  often  being 
strung  on  lengths  of  bush  rope  like  a  huge  necklace.     Both  fine   and 


"HEVEA  BRASILIENSIS/'  THE  PARA  RUBBER  TREE. 

coarse  are  sometimes  packed  in  barrels  and  if   the  receptacle  be  tight 
it  is  filled  with  water  to  prevent  shrinkage. 

To  show  how  generally  rubber  is  distributed  throughout  the  state, 
49  of  the  53  municipalities  produce  it ;  the  bulk  coming  however,  from  35. 
Each  municipality  is  governed  by  an  Intendente  with  a  power  to  assess 
local  taxes,  all  of  which  are  collected  at  Para.  On  rubber  they  amount 
to  /4  to  YT.  a  cent  per  pound.  This  is  in  addition  to  the  regular  state 
export  tax  of  22  per  cent.  When  steamers  arrive  from  any  of  these 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


59 


municipalities,  at  Para  the  captain  is  obliged  to  produce  an  exact  manifest 
of  cargo  and  submit  it  to  the  rccebedoria  and  only  when  they  iasiie^  a 
clearance  certificate  can  the  consignee  secure  any  portion  of  the  cargo 

The  beginning  of  rubber  production  is  really  with  the  aviador,  who 
furnishes  the  rubber  producer,  or  scringueiro,  with  all  supplies  and,  in  re- 
turn, receives  and  sells  his  rubber.  The  aviador  es,  and  there  are  hundreds 
of  them,  big  and  little,  have  outfitting  places  not  far  from  the  water  front 
in  Para  and  Manaos.  Some  of  them  are  not  much  more  than  offices : 


LEAVES    AND    NUTS    FROM    THE    "HEVEA    BRASILIENSIS." 


others  are  great  and  well-stocked  stores.  When  an  aviador  discovers 
what  a  seringueiro  is  going  to  need  for  the  coming  season,  he  supplies 
what  he  may  have  from  his  own  stock,  which  may  be  much  or  nothing. 
He  then  divides  the  order  into  dry  goods,  provisions,  etc.,  making  up 
separate  orders  for  city  merchants  who  handle  these  goods.  They  fill  the 
orders,  packed  and  delivered  on  the  pier  for  shipment.  The  aviador  then 
bills  these  goods,  accepting  in  payment  therefor,  notes  that  range  from 
three  to  six  months.  These  notes  are  discounted  by  the  local  banks,  and 
sometimes  are  extended  for  another  six  months,  if  times  are  hard.  The 


6c 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


discount  rates  are  from  10  to  24  per  cent.,  according  to  the  standing  of 
the  merchant. 

The  aviador  is  overcharged  in  his  purchase  about  50  per  cent,  by  the 
general  merchant  This  is  because  of  the  risk  that  the  latter  takes,  as  some 
aviadores  never  pay  at  all,  while  others  may  not  be  able  to  pay  for  one  or 
two  years.  When  the  aviador  receives  rubber  he  sells  it  for  the  seringueiro, 
who  is  credited  with  the  amount  received.  In  remitting  to  theseringueiro, 
if  money  is  sent,  the  commission  is  20  per  cent. ;  if  merchandise,  10  per 
cent. 

In  times  past,  according  to  the  stories  of  some  rubber  merchants,  it 


RUBBER    TREE    GROWING    ON    RIVER    BANK. 

(Showing  taproot  reaching  barely  to  the  water.   The  laterals  never  thrive  where  it  is 

permanently    wet.) 


was  an  exceedingly  easy  thing  to  become  an  aviador.  One  asset  only 
was  necessary.  That  was  the  friendship  of  a  director  of  a  local  bank. 
The  man  who  planned  to  become  an  aviador  would  register  his  firm  at  the 
Junta  Commercial  with  a  capital  perhaps  of  50  contos.  Through  the 
director  he  would  discount  notes  for  that  amount.  This  money  would 
be  used  for  buying  shares  in  that  bank,  which  would  be  pledged  in  another 
bank  for  a  certain  amount.  This  money  he  would  deposit  in  a  third  bank. 
By  this  means  the  aviador  was  able  to  give  two  banks  as  references.  In 
one  of  them  he  was  a  stockholder  to  the  amount  of  about  45  contos,  and 
in  the  other  a  depositor  of  40  contos.  Without  a  cent  of  money  of  his 
own,  he  would  be  rated  as  being  worth  about  100  contos  When  he  there- 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


61 


fore  sent  letters  to  rubber  producers  offering  to  outfit  them  and  sell  their 
rubber,  they  were  much  impressed  and  he  got  the  business. 

The  manner  just  cited  is  not  the  usual  way,  by  any  means,  and  it 
could  not  be  done  to-day.  The  bulk  of  the  rubber  business  is  built  with 
real  capital  and  many  of  the  atiadores  are  seringueiros  who,  selling  their 
places  or  retaining  them  as  they  choose,  established  themselves  in  Para  or 
Manaos  as  amadores.  The  aviador  is  the  most  generous  man  in  the  world 
in  certain  respects.  He  will  gladly  supply  the  seringueiro  with  two  or 
three  times  as  much  as  he  orders,  and  when  the  proper  time  comes  take 


ti 

. 


SKETCH    SHOWING   TRUNK   OF    HEVEA   BRASILIENSIS    AND 

LACTIFEROUS  TUBES   MUCH  ENLARGED. 

A — Latex   tubes   in   bark.  C — Wood. 

B — Cambium.  D — Proper   depth   of  cut. 

a  mortgage  on  his  estates,  and  very  rarely  is  the  mortgage  liquidated. 
Indeed,  many  times  it  is  foreclosed  and  the  seringal  or  rubber  estate 
thereafter  is  the  property  of  the  aviador. 

The  amadores  also  attend  to  another  detail  of  the  rubber  gathering 
usiness,  which  is  the  arranging  for  contract  laborers.  Each  year,  before 
the  beginning  of  the  rubber  season,  they  send  agents  to  Ceara,  Rio  Grande 
do  Norte,  Parahyba  and  Piauhy,  where  abide  the  hard-working  Brazil- 
ians, commonly  known  as  the  "Cearenses"  They  live  very  well  by  culti- 


62 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


vating  the  land  and  raising  cattle;  that  is,  when  the  rains  are  regular; 
but  one  dry  season  works  great  havoc.  Their  crops  are  destroyed,  the 
cattle  die  of  hunger  and  thirst,  and  the  Amazon  and  rubber  gathering  is 
all  that  stands  between  them  and  starvation.  It  is  usually  necessary  for 
the  agent  of  the  aviador  to  advance  a  little  money  and  pay  the  passage  of 
the  laborer  to  the  seringaL  These  advances  are  later  deducted  from  his 
earnings. 

The  Cearense,  with  what  little  baggage  he  owns,  including  always* 


DWELLING    OF    RUBBER   GATHERERS    ON    THE    AMAZON. 


a  gaudy  handkerchief  and  a  business-like  stiletto,  is  loaded  on  one  of 
the  small  river  boats  with  hundreds  of  others  and  started  on  his  journey. 
This  is  at  the  time  of  high  water,  the  start  being  made  in  the  latter  part  of 
March  or  the  first  part  of  April,  and  it  is  probably  the  beginning  of  May 
before  the  seringal  is  reached.  Here  he  is  installed  in  one  of  the  thatched 
huts  provided  for  the  laborers,  if  he  has  his  family  with  him ;  if  he  travels 
as  a  bachelor  he  may  sling  his  hammock  in  a  large  thatched  house  with 
the  rest  of  the  unmarried  men. 


OF  THE  AMAZON  63 

A  seringal  is  really  a  little  village,  which  centers  about  the  big  frame 
house  roofed  with  tile  where  the  manager  lives,  where  is  also  the  office 
and  the  store.  Round  about  this  are  grouped  the  thatched  huts  of  the 


PLAN  OF  A  "SERINGAL." 

(Showing  Estradas,   Number  of  trees  in  each,   and  seringueiro's  huts.      Hut   number   1   houses  7" 
ten,  who  work  15  estradas;   number  2,    6  men     12    estradas,  and  number  3,   2  men,  5   estradas.)- 


laborers.  These  villages  are  located  on  rising  ground  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  river,  and  cut  off  as  they  are  from  the  rest  of  the  world  for  months, 
at  a  time,  the  manager  is  really  absolute  ruler. 


64  THE  RUBBER  COUXTRY 

The  Amazon  begins  its  great  rise  in  December,  and  the  land  is  not 
uncovered  so  that  men  can  work  until  about  the  middle  of  May.  During 
all  of  this  time  the  tapping  of  rubber  trees  is  discontinued.  The  laborers 
who  remain,  spend  their  time  in  smoking  and  sleeping  and  in  endless 


"SERINGUEIRO"     GOING     HIS     ROUNDS. 


trivial  gossip.  Occasionaly  they  take  too  much  cachaca  and  do  some 
desperate  fighting.  According  to  a  physician  whom  I  know,  whose  prac- 
tice lies  in  the  waterways  above  Iquitos,  the  Cearenses  do  a  good  deal  of 
shooting  at  each  other.  One  of  his  chief  duties  was  the  extraction  of 
bullets  from  rubber  gatherers'  arms  and  legs.  He  said  they  never  seemed 
to  hit  each  other  in  the  body,  and  it  was  only  rarely  that  one  was  killed. 


OF  THE  AMAZON  65 

His  fee,  incidently,  for  extracting  a  bullet  was  paid  in  rubber,   and  at 
present  prices  would  be  about  $1,000. 

As  has  been  often  explained,  a  tropical  forest  rarely  shows  a  pre- 
ponderance of  any  one  kind  of  tree.  It  is  a  heterogeneous  crowding  of 
hundreds  of  different  kinds  of  trees,  criss-crossed  and  lashed  together  by 
giant  vines.  Where  the  rubber  trees  flourish  they  may  be  thirty  feet  apart 
or  hundreds  of  feet  apart.  They  certainly  are  never  close  together.  In 
order  to  work  them,  narrow  pathways  are  cut  through  the  forest,  leading 


TAPPING   A    PARA   RUBBER   TREE. 

(The  seringueiro  holds  a  hatchet  in  one  hand  and  in  the  other  a  latex  cup;   several  cups  have 
already  been  attached  to  the  tree;  he  carries  a  can  for  collecting  latex   and  always  a  gun.) 


from  one  tree  to  another  in  some  general  direction,  until  50  or  60  trees 
have  been  located.  The  path  then  turns,  either  to  the  right  or  the  left, 
and  is  continued  back  to  the  central  camp  from  rubber  tree  to  rubber  tree. 
This  makes  a  very  irregular  ellipse  and  is  called  an  estrada,  or  path. 

The  rubber  gatherers  do  not  waste  effort,  and  if  the  reader  has  pic- 
tured a  sylvan  pathway,  broad  and  smooth  and  easy  to  traverse,  he  is 
oing  too  far.      A  stranger,  unused  to  a  forest,  would  never  suspect  the 


66 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


existence  of  these  paths,  and  once  he  was  on  one  would  have  difficulty  in 
following  it. 

The  first  thing  the  laborers  on  a  seringa!  are  set  at,  when  a  new 
season  begins,  is  the  cleaning  of  the  old  estradas.    Five  or  six  months  in  a 


SERINGUEIROS       BRINGING    HOME    LATEX. 


tropical  forest  bring  great  changes.  Huge  trees  have  fallen  across  the 
paths,  dragging  others  in  their  fall  and  often  making  impassable  barriers 
around  which  a  way  must  be  cut.  Vines  and  young  trees  have  sprung 


OF  THE  AMAZON  67 

i-p  and  grown  enormously,  and  everything  that  nature  could  do  to  efface 
man's  work  has  been  done.  So  that  the  cleaning  of  the  estradas  is  jio_ 
light  task.  It  means  not  only  reopening  the  path,  but  cutting  a  circle 
about  two  feet  wide  around  each  rubber  tree,  so  that  there  will  be  room 
to  work.  Then  comes  the  opening  of  new  estradas,  if  there  are  laborers 
enough  to  work  them.  And  next  in  order  is  the  tapping. 

This  starts  very  early  in  the  morning.  The  seringueiro  rises  at  4 
o'clock,  boils  some  coffee  which  he  hurriedly  drinks,  and,  provided  with  a 
machadinha,  or  little  tapping  ax,  and  several  hundred  tin  cups,  starts 
barefooted  for  his  estrada.  When  he  reaches  the  first  rubber  tree  he 
attaches  as  many  cups  as  the  size  of  the  tree  warrants,  usually  in  a  circle 
as  high  up  as  he  can  conviently  cut.  These  cups  are  attached  directly 
under  the  cuts,  and  catch  the  latex  or  rubber  milk  as  it  flows  out. 

The  capable  rubber  gatherer  carries  a  little  finely  kneaded  clay  to 
stick  the  cups  to  the  trees  if  he  uses  clay  cups ;  if  he  uses  tin  ones  the  top 
is  bent  over  and  caught  under  the  bark.  A  great  many  gatherers  rub 
the  tree  down  with  cocoa  husks  before  tapping.  This  removes  mosses  and 
enables  them  to  affix  their  cups  much  more  easily.  A  native  gatherer 
will  often  point  out  a  tree  calling  it  cancado,  which  means  that  it  gives 
little  latex  and  is  diseased  and  not  worth  tapping. 

There  is  a  great  difference  in  trees  as  far  as  the  production  of  latex 
goes.  Some  bleed  freely,  others  reluctantly ;  some  furnish  thick,  creamy 
latex,  others  thin  latex,  and  occasionally  one  gives  none  at  all. 

Although  alone  in  the  jungle  that  shelters  many  wild  beasts  and 
venomous  snakes,  the  rubber  worker  is  very  rarely  molested.  The  wild 
creatures  all  get  out  of .  the  way  of  man  when  they  can.  To  be  sure, 
if  the  tree  tapper  should  leave  his  pile  of  tin  cups  for  a  short  time,  a 
trouble  seeking  monkey  might  swing  down  from  the  branches  above, 
lift  the  stack,  and  throw  it  high  in  the  air  just  for  the  delight  of  seeing 
the  cups  scatter. 

From  tree  to  tree  goes  the  rubber  tapper  until  all  on  his  estrada  have 
their  girdle  of  cups.  He  now  discards  the  tapping  tool  and,  taking  some 
vessel,  very  frequently  an  empty  kerosene  can,  begins  the  collection  of 
the  latex.  His  first  visit  is  to  the  tree  first  tapped,  where  the  latex  has 
probably  ceased  running,  and  the  cups  may  be  a  quarter,  a  half,  or  nearly 
full,  depending  on  the  productiveness  of  the  tree.  By  the  time  he  has 
finished  this  round  and  collected  all  of  the  latex  it  is  9  or  10  o'clock,  and 
he  is  ready  for  breakfast.  This  he  prepares  himself  and  it  usually  con- 
sists of  dried  beef  and  beans,  always  accompanied  by  farinha. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  SMOKING  OF  THE  RUBBER  MILK — PALM  NUT  FUEL — WHAT  BECOMES  OF 
THE  DRIPPINGS — BRANDING — METHOD  •  OF  COLLECTING  "CAMETA" — INDIANS  AS 
NATURAL  BOTANISTS — SIZE  OF  RUBBER  TREES — VARIOUS  INVENTIONS  FOR  PRESERVING 
LATEX  AND  SMOKING  THE  RUBBER  MILK — BLENDING  OF  OTHER  RUBBER  MILKS  WITH 
HEVEA — TAPPING  SEASON. 

THE  rubber  worker  is  now  ready  to  do  the  day's  smoking.  On 
the  fire  smoldering  in  his  hut  he  heaps  some  of  the  heavy  oily 
nuts  that  are  borne  abundantly  by  the  "urucuri"  palm  (Attain 
e.vcelsa).  Over  this,  if  he  has  it,  he  places  a  funnel  that  is  like  a  truncated 
cone  open  at  each  end,  part  of  the  lower  edge  being  cut  away  to  make  a 
draught.  Until  recently  these  cones  were  made  of  earthenware  and  were 
heavy  and  rather  fragile.  To-day  the  aviadores  supply  them  in  sheet 
iron  with  handles  on  the  side.  These  are  much  more  portable  and  not 
breakable,  but  the  seringueiros,  that  is,  the  old  expert  ones,  detest  them. 
They  complain  that  the  iron  throws  off  so  much  heat  that  their  work  is 
much  more  disagreeable  that  when  they  used  clay  cones. 

When  the  smoke  is  coming  thick  and  hot  from  the  funnel,  the 
seringueiro  winds  a  bit  of  freshly  coagulated  rubber  about  a  piece  of 
wood,  shaped  something  like  a  canoe  paddle,  and  thoroughly  dries  it  in 
the  smoke.  Then  he  dips  this  in  the  latex  and  holds  it  again  over  the 
smoke  until  that  film  is  dried.  Over  and  over  again  he  repeats  this 
process,  the  ball  growing  in  size  with  every  dipping.  Where  large  balls 
are  to  be  made  that  cannot  easily  be  handled,  a  rest  is  made  by  driving 
two  forked  sticks  into  the  ground  with  a  cross  piece  connecting  them. 
In  the  middle  of  this  cross  piece  is  a  loop  of  bush  rope  into  which  om 
end  of  the  pole  holding  the  rubber  ball  is  thrust.  The  seringueiro,  grasj 
ing  the  other  end,  swings  the  ball  over  the  smoke  and  turns  it  easily. 
a  further  assistance  a  loop  of  bush  rope  coming  down  from  the  roof  o1 
the  hut  helps  the  laborer  to  hold  his  end  of  the  smoking  pole. 

Quite  a  variety  of  palm  nuts  may  be  used  in  smoking.     The  best  an 
said  to  be  the  "iuaja"  (Masumileuo  regno)  but  they  are  hard  to  find.    Tht 

68 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


69 


urucuri  (Attala  excelsa)  is  what  is  commonly  used.     What  is  known  as 
the  "uanassee"  is  also  used  but  is  said  not  to  give  as  good  a  result,  although^ 
these  nuts  are  very  abundant  and  easily  obtained.     The  palm  nuts  used 


THE   URUCURI   PALM. 

(The    nuts    of    which    are    used    in    smoking    Para    rubber.) 


70  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

a  help  in  locating  the  camps  of  the  rubber  gatherers.  Just  what  the  smoke 
of  the  palm  nut  does  that  other  smokes  will  not  accomplisl  the  Indian  does 
not  know.  He  explains  that  it  is  o  pungimento  (the  strength)  which 
is  a  good  explanation  as  far  as  it  goes. 

A  part  of  the  process  of  coagulation  that  is  not  generally  described 
and  indeed  that  many  say  does  not  exist  is  heating  the  latex  before 
applying  it  to  the  paddle  that  it  may  coagulate  more  readily.  Many 
have  stated  that  the  latex  of  the  Hevea  produces  l/2  of  its  weight  in 
rubber.  Actually  it  is  about  1/3  for  an  average.  Careful  workmen 
rub  the  paddle  with  clay  to  keep  the  rubber  from  clinging  too  closely  to 


CAMETA,    ON    THE    AMAZON    AND   TOCANTINS. 


the  wood.     They  also  warm  the  paddle  thoroughly  in  the  hot  smoke 
fore  they  begin. 

As  the  rubber  is  coagulated,  the  color  of  the  pelle  is  first  a  silvei 
grey,  then  yellow,  and  finally  almost  black. 

The  smoked  biscuit  is  very  soft  when  it  is  first  formed  and  sweats 
a  great  deal  of  water.  It  is  laid  with  the  paddle  still  in  it  on  a  board  t( 
dry  out  over  night.  The  next  morning  it  is  cut  off  and  there  is  still 
so  much  water  that  the  rubber  cuts  like  cheese. 

Much  of  the  latex  coagulates  in  the  air.  This  is  in  the  form  oi 
thin  films  on  the  sides  of  the  vessels,  drippings  in  various  parts  of  the 
camp,  and  latex  that  started  to  coagulate  before  there  was  time  to  smokt 
it.  This  forms  the  grade  known  as  coarse  Para. 


OF  THE  AMAZON  71 

Day  after  day  until  Saturday,  the  seringueiro  pursues  his  monotonous 
task.  On  that  day,  he,  with  half  a  dozen  others  or  more,  whose  estradas 
join  his,  take  their  balls  of  rubber  to  the  seringal,  where  they  are  credited 
with  the  number  of  pounds  gathered,  at  say  50  per  cent,  of  the  market 
value  as  they  know  it.  The  other  50  per  cent,  is  to  indemnify  the  owner 
of  the  seringal  for  shrinkage,  freight,  and  so  on.  The  rubber  ball  is  then 
branded  with  the  mark  of  the  aviador  and  stored  awaiting  shipment. 
Often  times  too  it  is  sunned  with  the  result  that  the  outer  surface  becomes 
very  dense  preventing  the  moisture  that  is  on  the  inside  from  escaping. 

His  week's  work  finished,  the  seringueiro  goes  to  the  store,  gets 
supplies  of  provisions  for  the  next  week,  not  forgetting  plenty  of  cachaca, 
•which  are  debited  to  him  at  about  100  per  cent,  above  the  cost  price. 

The  owner  of  the  seringal  makes  his  profit  almost  entirely  out  of 
what  he  sells  to  the  seringueiro.  The  latter  is  obliged  to  buy  goods  only 
at  the  store,  or  else  hunt  some  other  seringal,  the  owner  of  which  must 
assume  his  debt,  which  always  exists,  with  a  20  per  cent,  increase  for 
the  transfer. 

The  grade  or  rubber  known  as  Cameta  is  a  sernamb\  that  is  not 
smoked  but  coagulates  in  the  cups  on  the  trees.  The  seringueiros  like  to 
gather  rubber  in  this  way  as  it  avoids  the  trouble  of  smoking.  Beside 
this,  if  perhaps  they  can  tap  150  trees  if  they  are  working  for  fine  they  can 
tap  250  if  they  are  after  Cameta.  This  rubber  is  much  inferior  to  fine 
and  brings  less  in  the  rubber  market.  Therefore  the  state  revenues  are 
much  less.  In  order  to  force  the  rubber  gatherers  to  produce  more  fine 
and  less  Cameta  the  state  of  Para  seriously  considered  putting  a  tax  of 
10  cents  a  pound  on  Cameta. 

A  native  rubber  gatherer,  knowing  nothing  of  botany,  in  fact  ignorant 
of  almost  everything  except  his  own  particular  craft,  can  pick  out  a  Hevea 
Brasiliensis  from  any  other  Hevea  at  sight.  Something  that  he  detects 
in  the  texture  of  the  bark,  in  the  way  the  tree  grows,  enables  him  to 
•decide  at  once  and  he  is  always  right.  The  expert  botanist,  however,  is 
obliged  to  see  the  flowers  and  even  then  the  differences  between  the 
various  Hevea  blossoms  are  so  slight  that  he  may  be  in  error. 

Years  ago  it  is  said  that  the  rubber  gatherers  were  in  the  habit  of 
taking  a  length  of  bush  rope,  looping  it  about  the  foot  of  the  rubber  tree, 
•close  to  the  ground,  then  twisting  it  tourniquet  fashion,  after  which 
tl.ey  tapped  the  tree.  This  was  said  to  exhaust  the  tree  and  was  prohibited 
by  law. 

The   size   of   Para   rubber   trees   has   been   variously   stated.      Cross 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


73 


measured  many  in  the  lower  islands,  particularly  on  Marajo,  and  found 
them  to  be  from  3  feet  to  6  feet  10  inches  in  circumference  3  feet  from 
the  ground.  He  saw  no  trees  that  were  more  than  60  feet  in.  height, 
although  the  forest  there  affords  other  trees  that  are  80  to  100  feet 
in  height.  Wickham  exploring  the  plateau  lying  between  the  Madeira 
and  Tapajos  rivers,  land  that  is  never  inundated,  found  mature  trees  10 
to  12  feet  in  circumference  and  70  and  80  feet  in  height. 

The  native  method  of  smoking  may  not  always  be  followed  in 
Brazilian  forests.  Numbers  of  other  processes  have  been  experimented 
with.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Brazil  exhibited  at  the  World's  Fair 
in  Chicago,  1893,  samples  of  Para  rubber  which  had  been  coagulated  by 


BRAZILIAN    MACHINE  FOR  COAGULATING  LATEX. 

adding  sulphate  of  alumina  to  the  latex.  It  was  believed  that  this 
would  revolutionize  the  smoking  process,  and  be  much  quicker  and 
cheaper.  The  rubber,  however,  was  found  to  be  quite  brittle  and  rather 
short  lived  and  the  process  never  came  into  general  use. 

Various  processes  for  preserving  the  latex  so  that  it  should  not 
coagulate  before  the  gatherer  had  an  opportunity  to  smoke  it  have  also 
been  invented  by  Brazilians.  There  was,  for  example,  the  Torres  system, 
by  which  a  liquid  added  to  the  latex  preserved  it  for  more  than  twenty 
hours.  This  preservation  was  said  to  be  made  of  a  combination  of  the 
juices  of  a  number  of  vines,  the  names  of  which  were  kept  secret.  This 
was  invented  in  1894,  but  never  was  adopted  by  the  rubber  gatherers. 


OF  THE  AMAZON  75 

Ten  years  later  Pozelina  appeared.  This  was  also  a  secret  compound 
and  it  was  claimed  for  it  that  it  added  to  the  value  of  the  rubber  ^gj)er 
cent,  but  the  scringueiros  would  have  none  of  it. 

In  1908  Seringuina  appeared  and  the  inventor  received  many 
assurances  of  interest  on  the  part  of  the  Brazilian  government.  Bottles 
cf  latex  preserved  by  it,  were  sent  to  the  writer  in  New  York  and  the 
rubber  milk  is  still  sweet  and  uncoagulated.  So  far  as  is  known,  how- 
ever, none  of  the  large  operators  in  crude  rubber  have  made  it  useful  at 
their  Scringacs. 

Years  ago  appeared  a  machine  for  smoking  latex  known  as 
Coutinho's.  Ten  years  later,  improved,  it  again  appeared  as  Danin's.  Both 
inventors  were  Brazilians  who  were  perfectly  familiar  with  the  native 
methods  of  curing  rubber  and  their  manifest  inadequacy.  The  improved 
machine  has  a  hollow  cylinder  into  which  both  smoke  and  latex  are 
admitted.  As  the  cylinder  is  rotated  the  latex  spreads  over  the  inner 
surface,  is  brought  in  contact  with  the  smoke,  coagulates  in  thin  films, 
and  is  cut  off  in  sheets  when  the  process  is  finished. 

A  recent  instance  of  Brazilian  alertness  was  the  invention  of  the 
DaCosta  Smoking  Coagulator  which  is  used  not  only  in  Brazil  but  on 
the  great  rubber  plantations  in  Ceylon  and  the  Federated  Malay  States. 
The  apparatus  is  a  simple  arrangement  of  steam-boilers  and  smoke 
furnace  whereby  steam  and  smoke  together  are  forced  into  cans  of 
latex  until  coagulation  is  effected. 

The  proportion  of  coarse  or  scrnamby  varies  with  different  localities. 
In  1903-04,  50  per  cent,  of  the  rubber  exported  from  Para  was  sernamby 
while  of  that  exported  from  Manaos  the  proportion  was  only  20  per  cent. 

It  is  a  question  how  much  real  Para  rubber,  that  is,  rubber  made 
wholly  from  Hcvca  milk,  appears  in  the  market.  Dr.  Huber  long  ago 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  rubber  gatherers  were  in  the  habit  of 
tapping  S  a  plums  that  were  near  the  estradas  and  mixing  that  latex  with 
that  of  Hcvca.  Wherever  in  the  Amazon  basin  the  Hevca  Brasilicnsis 
is  found  there  also  flourishes  great  variety  of  Sapiums,  many  Mimusops 
and  other  trees  that  are  abundant  latex  producers.  Left  to  themselves 
the  scringueiros  are  sure  to  mix  in  any  milks  that  will  coagulate.  Indeed, 
as  the  learned  Doctor  observes,  perhaps  they  get  a  tougher  and  better 
product  for  so  doing.  However  this  may  be,  it  is  certain  that  for  some 
reason  or  other,  the  rubber  made  from  the  pure  Hcvca  milk  in  the  Far 
East  has  not  yet  shown  the  nerve  that  is  characteristic  of  upriver  fine. 

The  tree  tappers  are  not  careful  of  the  trees.     Naturally  improvident 


76  THE  RUBBER  COUXTRY 

they  would  destroy  them  in  one  year  if  it  meant  more  rubber,  but 
fortunately  more  rubber  cannot  be  gotten  in  this  way  from  the  Hevea, 
and  so  the  trees  survive  and  continue  to  produce  year  after  year.  There 


SPIRAL    TAPPING    OF    "HEVEA    BRASILIENSIS/ 


are  stories  of  rubber  gatherers  on  the  upper  reaches  of  the  river  who 
build  fires  about  the  bases  of  the  great  trees  to  stimulate  the  flow  of 
latex,  but  no  one  seems  able  to  verify  such  tales. 


Or  THE  AMAZON  77 

The  tapping  season  may  last  from  three  to  six  months.  This_d£r 
pends  on  location,  and  on  the  size  and  condition  of  the  trees.  Sometimes 
the  trees  are  tapped  daily,  sometimes  every  other  day.  Often  they  are 
given  a  rest  for  a  year.  The  amount  of  rubber  secured  per  tree  is  difficult 
to  estimate,  but  it  probably  does  not  exceed  two  or  three  pounds,  and  in 
some  districts  that  have  been  constantly  worked  for  a  number  of  years 
even  less  than  that.  Old  rubber  men  tell  stories  of  estradas  of  a  hundred 
trees  that  would  turn  in  20  to  30  pounds  of  rubber  a  day,  but  they  agree 
that  the  time  of  such  production  is  long  past. 

The  age  at  which  Para  rubber  trees  are  big  enough  to  tap  depends 
•largely  upon  their  surroundings.  Cultivated  trees  may  be  tapped  when 
they  are  four  to  five  years  old,  that  is  if  the  tapping  be  done  carefully. 
These  that  grow  in  the  partially  cleared  forest  will  take  from  10  to 
15  years  to  arrive  at  the  tappable  size.  Para  trees,  selfplante:!,  that 
manage  to  struggle  up  in  the  dense  forest,  probably  take  25  to  30  years 
to  attain  to  the  proper  size  for  tapping. 

The  actual  extent  of  the  rubber  forest  in  the  Amazon  country  is 
unknown,  but  according  to  those  who  have  done  a  good  deal  of  exploring 
only  the  fringe  has  been  touched.  The  seringaes  and  temporary  rubber 
camps  are  all  located  along  the  waterways. 

This  means  working  the  territory  about  a  mile  inland.  The  rest 
of  the  forest,  comprising  thousands  of  square  miles,  is  as  yet  untouched. 
This  is  true  not  only  in  Amazonas  and  the  other  great  interior  states, 
but  of  the  state  of  Para  as  well.  With  labor  and  proper  exploitation 
four  times  as  much  rubber  could  come  out  of  the  Amazon  as  is  obtained 
at  present. 

The  securing  of  laborers  is  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  undertaking. 
To  get  a  rubber  estate  in  the  Amazon  valley  is  easy.  Millions  of  acres 
of  land  with  rubber  trees  are  without  owners.  The  land  costs  nothing, 
the  government  exacting  a  fee  only  when  it  is  registered. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  SOURCE  OF  THE  AMAZON  RIVER — EARLY  TRADITIONS — THE  START  UPRIVER — 
THE  NARROWS — FOREST  SCENES — OUR  BUTTERFLY  HUNTER — BREVES  AND  THE 
ANCIENT  CHANNEL — THE  RIVER  CABLE  AND  ITS  INTERRUPTIONS — THE  WIRELESS. 

FAR  up  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Peruvian  Andes  is  a  tiny  lake- 
let of  ice-cold  water  from  which  flows  a  little  brook.  As  this 
increases  in  size  and  gets  large  enough  to  be  worth  naming,  it  is 
called  Tunquragua ;  further  down  it  becomes  the  Maranon,  the  Solimoes, 
and  the  Amazon.  Indeed,  it  is  the  Amazon  from  the  little  Peruvian  pond 
to  the  great  158  mile  wide  delta,  thousands  of  miles  to  the  east.  The 
great  river  takes  its  name  from  a  tradition  that  its  shores  were  peopled 
with  bands  of  warlike  females,  whose  fierceness  appalled  even  the  early 
Spanish  adventurers.  Perhaps  there  were  such.  Their  descendants, 
however,  have  changed,  for  no  quieter,  more  peaceful,  unobtrusive 
women  exist  anywhere  to-day,  than  in  the  basin  of  the  Amazon,  whether 
Brazilian,  half  breed  or  Indian. 

Many  picturesque  stories  come  down  to  us  from  the  hardy  and 
adventurous  pioneers  of  the  past.  There  was  Sir  Walter  Raleigh's 
narrative  of  a  race  "with  eyes  in  their  shoulders  and  a  huge  mouth 
situated  just  below  the  clavicle."  Then,  too,  there  were  those  who  saw 
in  the  cow-faced  manatee,  suckling  its  progeny  from  a  pair  of  leathery 
breasts,  a  beautiful  water  woman  or  mermaid.  Of  the  great  river 
itself,  however,  they  saw  only  what  was  so,  and  early  described  its 
great  delta  with  a  current  felt  more  than  a  hundred  miles  out  at  sea. 
They  knew,  too,  of  the  northward  sweep  of  the  Amazon  and  of  how 
it  had  built  and  was  building  the  fertile  lowlands  of  Dutch  and  British 
Guiana  by  its  vast  deposits  of  Amazonian  mud. 

Every  one  asserts  that  there  is  no  need  of  mosquito  bars  going 
up  or  down  the  Amazon,  but  I  had  mine  adjusted  in  spite  of  the 
pitying  smile  on  the  face  of  my  companion,  who  didn't  unpack  his.  I 
had  an  extremely  self-satisfied  feeling  when  I  awoke  about  midnight  and 
heard  him  at  work  hastily  getting  his  protector  into  position.  Not  that 
the  mosquitos  were  bad  or  numerous,  but  they  were  aboard.  I  was 

78 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


79 


up  at  light  and,  after  a  bath  in  the  alluvial  soup  the  river  furnishes, 
went  on  deck.  The  boat  was  ploughing  through  a  lakelike  expanse 
of  water,  with  islands  in  all  directions.  It  is  difficult  for  one  who  has 
not  studied  this  subject  particularly  to  appreciate  how  many  thousands 
of  islands,  big  and  little,  are  crowded  into  the  lower  Amazon. 

As  the  river  was  rising  we  passed  through  and  by  acres  of  floating 
grasses,  weeds,  and  logs,  the  larger  masses  being  easily  avoided.  About 
10  o'clock  we  entered  the  Narrows,  our  channel  being  perhaps  300 
yards  wide.  On  either  side  the  low  lying  alluvial  shores  were  thick 


AN    ISLAND    IN    THE    LOWER    AMAZON. 


with  palms  of  various  kinds,  together  with  Spanish  cedars,  rubber  trees, 
acacias,  and  a  great  variety  of  hard  woods,  over  which  ran  a  riot  of 
vines,  big  and  little,  every  inch  of  land  far  out  into  the  water  being 
crowded  with  luxuriant  vegetation. 

At  close  range  the  forest  is  so  dense  and  covers  such  an  area 
that  one  does  not  easily  appreciate  how  huge  some  of  the  trees  are. 
When  one  measures,  however,  a  silk  cotton  tree  that  is  from  30  to  40 
feet  in  circumference,  and  they  are  not  uncommon,  one's  ideas  are 
modified.  Many  of  the  vines  and  trees  were  masses  of  beautiful 
flowers,  and  while  the  epyhites  and  orchids  that  clung  to  and  clustered 
on  trunks  and  branches  did  not  show  many  blooms,  they  added  to  the 
decorative  effect  wonderfully.  We  looked  here  for  the  manatee,  or 


8o 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


sea  cow,  which  lives  out:  its  quiet  uneventful  life  in  these  waters, 
shyly  avoiding  everything  animate  everything  but  its  own  kin.  But 
we  had  no  luck. 

Every  now  and  then  we  passed  a  seringueiro's  hut,  or  barracao, 
close  to  the  water's  edge,  built  on  posts  above  the  rise  of  the  river,  while 
in  front  of  it  were  tethered  one  or  more  canoes,  the  only  means  of  trans- 
port, and  indeed  of  refuge,  when  the  water  is  very  high.  These  huts 
were  simple  in  construction,  made  of  poles  lashed  together  with  bush 
rope,  the  sloping  roofs  covered  with  broad  palm  leaves.  The  floors 


SCENE    IN   THE    NARROWS. 


were  of  rough  hewn  logs,  with  a  pile  of  clay  or  earth  for  a  fireplace,  and 
no  chimney.  Oftentimes  the  whole  front  of  a  hut  was  open.  So  close 
did  we  run  to  the  shore  that  we  could  see  the  owners  idling  in  their 
hammocks  and  many  times  surprised  coveys  of  naked  children,  who 
promptly  fled  to  cover,  only  to  venture  out  when  we  got  by.  Some  of 
the  older  ones,  to  be  sure,  would  jump  into  canoes  and  paddle  toward 
us,  coming  close  to  the  stern  as  we  passed  so  that  the  wash  of  the 
steamer  tossed  their  frail  craft  up  and  down  most  perilously,  which  ad- 
venture they  hailed  with  shrill  squeals  of  delight. 

We  saw  many  such  huts,  and  it  is  from  them  that  the  impression 
often  is  gained  that  tVe  whole  population  of  the  Amazon  valley  is  made 


OF  THE  AMAZON  81 

up  of  hut  dwellers.  Such  is  far  from  being  the  fact.  On  the  rising 
ground,  away  from  the  river  bank,  are  some  magnificent  estates;— e^ 
fazendas,  with  fine  buildings,  great  herds  of  cattle  and  horses,  and  very 
considerable  plantations.  Vast  areas  of  the  country  are,  of  course, 
not  only  unsettled  but  unexplored.  And  these  fazendas,  widely  scat- 
tered as  they  are,  do  not  make  the  showing  they  deserve- 
As  we  ran  close  to  the  shores  we  were  constantly  flushing  flocks 
of  birds  that  looked  like  short  tailed  pheasants.  They  were  very 
striking  in  their  brown  and  red  plumage,  and  as  they  flew  along  the 


"SERINGUEIROV    HUT    ON    THE    AMAZON. 


margin  of  the  stream,  alighting  often  and  balancing  themselves  on  sway- 
ing branches  near  at  hand,  it  looked  as  if  sportsmen  were  few.  We 
put  them  down  as  Brazilian  partridges,  but  learned  later  that  they 
were  a  sort  of  gilded  buzzard,  unfit  for  food,  and  altogether  despicable. 
It  was  a  disappointment,  for  all  the  way  to  Manaos  they  persisted, 
sometimes  in  flocks  of  a  hundred  or  more.  Of  alligators  we  saw  riot 
one.  Not  that  this  saurian  had  disappeared  permanently,  but  the  high 


82 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


water  had  driven  it  into  the  smaller  waterways  somewhat  removed  from 
the  river  proper. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day,  the  ship's  doctor,  net  in  hand, 
came  to  our  deck  and  talked  very  interestingly  of  his  ambitions  as  a 
butterfly  hunter.  It  was  his  first  visit  to  the  tropics  and  he  was  gather- 
ing everything  in  the  insect  line  that  he  could  catch.  Like  a  wise  man,  he 
had  secured  the  help  of  the  crew,  and  it  was  an  object  lesson,  to  those 
who  venture  up  river  without  mosquito  bars,  to  review  a  night's  accu- 


THE   BUTTERFLY    HUNTER. 


initiation.  There  were  enormous  bettles,  moths,  gigantic  praying  mantis, 
ichneumon  flies,  and  bugs  unclassified  by  the  score.  Then  in  the  daytime 
came  the  shy,  quick  moving  butterflies  in  blue,  yellow,  and  green,  and  thin 
waisted  wasps  and  hornets,  all  of  which  kept  him  busy. 

The  course  for  many  years  was  by  Breves,  the  principal  settlement 
on  the  island  of  Marajo,  at  one  time  the  center  of  the  rubber  trade. 
There  the  channel  was  so  narrow  that  an  anchor  was  let  go  and  the 
boat  swung  around  before  it  could  head  right  to  go  on.  One  of  the 
river  pilots,  however,  once  asked  permission  to  take  a  boat  through 
another  channel  that  he  had  discovered — the  one  we  were  in — and  since 
then  the  old  passage  had  been  abandoned. 


OF  THE  AMAZON 


Breves  is  also  noted  as  the  first  cable  station  after  one  leaves 
Para.  The  cable  was  laid  by  the  Amazon  Telegraph  Co.,  Limited,  Eng- 
lish, under  a  concession  from  the  Brazilian  government  granted  in  iSgSr 
A  survey  of  the  river  at  low  water  was  at  once  made  and  the  cable  laid 
early  in  1896.  Between  Para  and  Manaos  there  are  the  following  cable 
stations :  Breves,  Gurupa,  Monte  Alegre,  Santarem,  Obidos,  Parantins, 
and  Iticoatiara.  There  are  also  some  short  branch  lines,  making  16  sta- 
tions in  all.  Soon  after  the  installation  of  the  cable  some  changes  in  the 
river  bed  broke  it  and  for  nearly  a  year  it  was  practically  useless.  It  was, 
however,  repaired  and  in  1900,  20,000  messages  were  sent  over  it,  and  a 


BREVES,    ON    THE    LOWER    AMAZON. 


year  later  just  double  that  number.  The  service  as  yet  cannot  be  said  to 
be  perfect,  but  interruptions  are  becoming  less  and  less  frequent. 

If  rubber  is  high,  there  are  some  who  claim  that  the  cable  is  pur- 
posely cut  to  keep  the  news  from  reaching  Manaos,  until  certain  trades 
are  effected.  I  only  met  one  man  who  would  acknowledge  that  he  had 
actually  seen  the  cut  ends,  and  he  was  not  an  expert  on  cable  matters, 
and  might  not  have  been  able  to  tell  a  plain  fracture  from  axe  work. 
My  own  idea  is  that  the  river  itself  is  perfectly  competent  to  supply 
enough  interruptions  to  suit  anybody.  Certain  it  is  that  one  steamer  is 
kept  busy  nearly  all  of  the  time  attending  to  the  thousand  mile  strand 
that  binds  the  two  rubber  cities  together. 

There  is  also  the  wireless  that  proudly  lifts  its  head  to  heaven  at 
Para  and  Santarem.  Its  brief  history  is  this : 


84  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

In  1894  certain  enterprising  Americans  organized  a  company  to  con- 
nect Para  and  Manaos  by  means  of  a  wireless  system.  According  to 
English  papers,  secret  experiments  had  been  carried  on  prior  to  this 
between  Manaos  and  Iquitos  and  were  most  successful.  When  the  con- 
cession for  its  installation  was  granted,  and  the  equipment  began  to 
arrive,  what  profound  thankfulness  filled  the  hearts  of  the  many  who  were 
marooned  in  Manaos,  often  for  a  week  at  a  time,  hungering  and  thirst- 
ing for  news  of  the  outside  world.  Their  hope  for  freedom,  however, 
from  the  vexatious  tyranny  of  the  great  river  has  so  far  borne  no  fruit. 
Messages  were  dispatched  from  either  end,  but  failed  to  be  received. 
The  official  explanation,  I  believe,  was  that  the  precipitation  was  so 
great  a3  to  interrupt  them;  or  was  it  that  there  was  too  much  air  in 
the  atmosphere?  A  more  probable  reason  is  that  the  messages  sent  in 
the  daytime  over  the  rubber  forests  were  gummed  up  by  the  flowing  latex 
and  fell  short  of  their  destination.  Nor  were  night  messages  any  more 
successful.  The  big  Brazilian  fire  flies,  which  are  sporty  things  anyway, 
got  in  the  habit  of  racing  with  the  electric  sparks  and  often  times  beating 
them.  It  will  be  evident  to  the  most  shallow  thinker  that  an  operator 
standing  on  a  tower  in  mosquito  ridden  Santarem,  with  a  butterfly  net 
in  one  hand  and  a  receiver  in  the  other,  sorting  fireflies  from  flashes, 
would  at  times  be  slightly  inaccurate.  And  accuracy  in  matters  wire- 
less is  a  prime  necessity.  So  Manaos  did  not  get  its  relief,  and  the 
cable  company  have  an  extension  of  their  contract  and  are  laying  a 
second  cable  in  the  river  bed. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

JUNGLE  STUDY  FROM  THE  CHART  DECK — THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS  AS  IT  REALLY 
1S — INTO  THE  AMAZON  PROPER — FLOATING  ISLANDS — DESTRUCTIVE  WORK  OF  FLOODS — 
PRAINHA  ON  THE  XINGU — FAST  IN  A  MUL  BANK — STEERING  BY  LIGHTNING 
FLASHES — ITACOATIARA — THE  ''DEAD"  AND  THE  "LIVING"  RIVERS. 

FROM  the  start  we  secured  the  use  of  a  pair  of  powerful  glasses, 
the  property  of  the   Captain,   which  gave   us   glimpses   into   the 
jungle  that   were   fascinating.     We  could  pick  out  rubber  trees 
nearly  every  time,  particularly  where  they  had  been  tapped.    I  had  long 
been  wondering  why  it  was  that  the  Hevea  was  able  to  withstand  the 
inundations   and   still  be   thrifty.     A  very   cursory   examination   of   the 
Amazonian  soil  tells  the  whole  story.     It  is  an  almost  impervious,  water- 
proof clay,  which  would  take  months  to  saturate,  and  then  would  not 
be  waterlogged. 

That  afternoon  we  ran  through  an  extremely  heavy  shower  and 
looked  back  on  the  biggest,  most  gorgeous,  double  rainbow  I  have 
ever  seen.  With  nightfall  came  the  great  frog  concert,  varied  by  the 
screaming  of  nightbirds  and  the  chirping  of  innumerable  insects.  Sitting 
on  deck,  pajama  clad,  enjoying  the  gentle  breeze  caused  by  the  boat's 
progress,  with  the  dusky  loom  of  the  jungle  on  either  side  and  the 
"gorgeous  Southern  Cross"  above  us,  the  scene  was,  in  tourists'  phrase, 
"one  to  inspire  sentiments  of  awe."  I  always  admired  this  last  phrase 
until  I  actually  saw  the  Southern  Cross.  I  had  read  of  it  as  a  "blazing 
aggregation  of  stars  of  the  first  magnitude,  holding  the  center  of  the 
Cerulean  dome."  The  "intermediate"  geography  that  I  first  studied  had  a 
half  page  illuminated  picture  of  it.  When  finally,  after  much  search- 
ing, I  saw  it,  I  was  filled  with  awe — at  the  imagination  that  could  see 
beauty  in  that  little  shrinking,  out  of  plumb  collection  of  blear  eyed  stars, 
let  alone  making  a  constellation  of  it.  It  is  an  insult  to  Orion  and  all 
of  his  family. 

I  do  not  feel  that  in  the  foregoing  I  have  given  a  clear  idea  of  our 
course,  or  what  we  saw  before  we  emerged  into  the  Amazon.  Let  me 
put  it  briefly. 

85 


86 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


We  went  north  from  Para,  with  Oncas  island  on  the  left,  head- 
ing for  Point  Musqueiro  on  the  mainland,  then  west  and  south  in  the 
Para  river,  passing  Caprin  light  on  the  southwest.  Next  came  Mandilhy, 
which  also  has  a  light;  then  through  Jaraca  channel,  with  Muru-Muru 
island  on  the  left,  where  one  out  of  every  three  steamers  gets  stuck  iri 
the  mud  ;  by  the  village  of  Antonio  Lemos,  where  is  situated  a  cable 
station;  past  the  village  of  Gurupa  by  Baxio  Grande  island,  and  at  last 
we  were  in  the  Amazon. 

The   river   was   now  three  miles   wide,   instead   of   a   few   hundred 


THE  AUTHOR'S   QUARTERS   ON  THE   CHART   HOUSE   DECK. 


yards.  The  jungle  was  more  open,  the  clearings  larger,  and  off  to  th< 
north  the  eye  was  delighted  by  the  tree  crowned  heights  of  the  Siern 
Jutahy.  One  wondered  why  those  broad  mesas  were  not  the  site  of 
healthy,  breeze  swept  city.  We  still  kept  close  to  the  shore,  sometimes 
on  one  side,  then  on  the  other,  to  avoid  great  shoals  that  form  and  dis- 
appear almost  overnight.  Occasionally  there  was  a  break  in  the  forest 
wall  and  we  would  see  vast  savannahs,  grass  covered,  their  light  greei 
surface  standing  out  in  bold  relief  against  the  dark  green  backgroun< 
of  the  forest. 


OF  THE  AMAZON  87 

Speaking  of  floating  debris,  the  bow  of  our  boat  caught  a  log  which 
jammed  crosswise  and  held  in  that  position,  and  we  pushed  it  upstream. 
It  gathered  everything  that  came  its  way,  and  the  result  was  tha^  ia 
a  couple  of  hours  the  sturdy  engines  were  not  only  forcing  the  boat 
upstream,  but  a  floating  island  a  quarter  of  an  acre  in  extent,  made  up 
of  logs,  driftwood,  grasses  and  floating  wreckage  of  all  sorts.  After  a 
time  it  grew  to  be  such  a  burden  that  the  engines  were  reversed  and 
we  ran  backwards  until  clear  of  it  to  avoid  making  an  island  that  might 
dam  the  river. 

The  banks  of  the  river  were  now  strongly  marked  and  from  6  to 


FLOATING   GRASS    ISLAND   ON    THE    AMAZON. 

10  feet  high  above  the  water  level.  On  every  tree  that  fringed  the 
edge,  and  indeed  on  the  thick  growing  shrubs  and  vines,  could  be  seen 
the  distinct  highwater  mark  of  the  previous  season  in  the  shape  of  mud 
stains.  This  line  showed  that  the  river  had  still  10  feet  more  of  rise, 
to  reach  last  year's  level,  and  by  the  way  it  was  coming  up  it  would  un- 
doubtedly do  it.  More  and  more  we  saw  the  work  of  the  floods.  Great 
stretches  of  devastated  forest,  covered  with  rank  reeds  and  grasses, 
huge  dead  trees  piled  in  picturesque  confusion  upon  the  river's  edge. 
On  a  small  map  the  river  looks  straight  and  its  channel  is  well  defined. 
In  fact  it  pursues  a  sinuous  course  and  is  everywhere  interrupted  by 


88 


THE  RUBBER  COUXTRY 


islands   big  and   little,    so   much   so   that   unless   one   refers   to   a   chart 
it  is  difficult  to  know  when  one  is  really  passing  the  mainland. 

We  saw  many  large  birds,  water  turkeys,  blue  herons,  egrets,  and 
thousands  of  parrots.  We  passed  the  confluence  of  the  Xingu  river, 
then  the  little  settlement  of  Prainha,  a  town  of  some  300  inhabitants, 
its  houses  painted  blue  and  white  with  red  tiled  roofs,  its  fleet  of  canoes 
and  its  excellent  river  walls,  with  buttresses  for  strength  and  steps 
down  at  the  water's  edge  at  each  end.  Above  the  town  were  extensive 
cornfields  and  pastures  where  many  horses  and  cattle  were  grazing.  The 
current  was  decidedly  swift  along  there,  and  we  moved  up  stream  slowly. 
Once  fairly  by  .the  village  we  lost  touch  with  mankind,  the  river 


I 


SANTAREM,     AND     AMERICAN     SETTLEMENT. 


broadened  to  about  eight  miles,  and  except  for  the  rounded  peak  of 
Serra  Urubucoara  all  that  we  could  see  was  yellow  water  and  great  forest 
covered  plains.  A  great  river  like  the  Amazon,  subject  to  floods,  always 
builds  banks  for  itself  even  if  it  tears  them  down  again.  The  larger 
and  heavier  materials  brought  down  by  the  floods  are  piled  on  the  "near" 
banks  and  promptly  covered  with  verdure.  For  miles  we  passed  banks 
10  or  12  feet  above  the  water  level  and  the  impression  was  that  the  land 
sloped  gently  up  from  them.  But  when  a  break  came  in  the  forest 
wall,  great  meadows  would  be  shown  a  trifle  lower  than  the  river  bank, 
these  meadows  in  turn  sloping  up  into  grass  lands  where  cattle  fed  by 
the  thousands,  shoulder  deep  in  the  luxuriant  growth. 

I  had  heard  many  say  that  the  journey  up  the  river,  except  as  one 


OF  THE  AMAZON  89 

passed  through  the  Narrows,  was  uninteresting  and  dreary.  My  mental 
picture  had  been  of  an  expanse  of  water  so  broad*  that  the  shores  dimly 
seen  offered  nothing  of  interest.  Perhaps  I  didn't  question  the  TFgnT 
men.  I  once  knew  a  man  in  the  gas  stove  business  who  visited  England 
in  the  summer  time  and  all  he  could  describe  on  his  return  were  the 
thousands  of  chimney  pots  on  London  dwellings.  May  be  I  had  taken 
the  view  of  a  chimney  pot  traveler.  Actually,  every  waking  minute 
disclosed  something  worth  seeing.  The  river  is  from  5  to  15  miles  wide 
and  the  scenery  constantly  changes.  The  stories  that,  for  example,  in  one 
place  it  is  900  feet  deep,  are  exaggeration.  I  followed  the  charts  closely 
and  the  greatest  depth  recorded  is  300  odd  feet,  which  of  course  is  good: 


OBIDOS,     ON     THE     AMAZON. 

The  third  night  out  it  was  very  dark  and  as  we  worked  slowly  up- 
stream we  saw  a  winking  light  far  ahead.  Soon  we  learned  that  the 
speedy  Hamburg-American  boat,  on  which  we  so  nearly  took  passage, 
was  fast  in  a  mudbank.  We  solemnly  took  her  mails  and  went  on  through 
the  darkness,  promising  to  report  her  at  Manaos.  We  got  to  bed  late 
that  night  because  of  the  excitement,  but  were  up  at  day  light  as 
usual,  and  found  the  surface  of  the  river  even  more  thickly  littered 
with  logs — logs  that  were  thickly  crowded  with  passengers.  There  is  a 
little  black  and  white  river  gull  that  exists  by  the  million  in  the  upper 
river.  They  love  to  settle  on  these  floating  logs  and  sail  and  sail. 
The  way  they  crowd  every  available  inch  of  space  above  the  water 
reminds  one  of  a  Hudson  river  boat  on  a  holiday ;  there  is  not  room 
for  even  one  more. 


9o 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


During  the  night  it  came  on  very  dark  with  thunder  showers 
but  we  did  not  stop,  the  pilot  calmly  steering  by  the  flashes  of  lighting. 
Very  early  in  the  morning  we  passed  the  Tapajos  river  and  the  town 
of  Santarem.  Here  is  a  settlemnet  of  some  2,500  people.  Santarem  is 
noted,  as  far  as  Americans  are  concerned,  as  a  place  where  a  body  of 
Confederates  from  Tennessee  established  themselves  after  the  civil 
war.  They  believed  in  slavery  and  moved  to  a  country  where  they  could 
own  slaves.  Somebody  in  Brazil  must  have  heard  of  it,  for  not  long 
after  their  establishment  slavery  there  was  abolished.  Somebody  ob- 


GATHERING    TURTLE    EGGS. 


serving  Santarem  from  the  deck  of  a  passing  steamer,  quizzing  a  captain 
who  approved  of  nothing  outside  of  his  far  away  northern  home,  wrote 
of  the  American  colony  there  as  being  in  a  "deplorable  condition."  That 
descriptive  phrase  clung  and  was  copied  far  and  wide.  The  fact  is  the 
descendants  of  the  fighting  Tennesseeans  are  a  healthy,  active,  enter- 
prising lot,  who  own  saw  mills  and  cattle  ranches  and  who  have  the  only 
large  rubber  plantations  on  the  Amazon.  They  already  have  some  80,000 
trees  and  are  putting  in  40,000  more.  They  employ  Indians  and  have 
made  a  success  of  that  type  of  labor. 

More  and  more  the  character  of  the  river  bank  changed.     Often  it 
was  a  palisade  of  clay,  10  to  20  feet  high,  its  face  as  smooth  as  if  cut 


OF    THE    AMAZON  91 

with  a  spade.  Near  Obidos  this  was  particularly  marked.  This  town, 
by  the  way,  shows  up  very  well  from  the  water  front.  Its  public 
buildings,  church,  and  dwelling  houses — many  of  them  of  the  bungalow 
type — are  all  in  view,  as  the  town  is  built  on  a  sloping  ground.  Above 
the  town  the  river  bank  is  very  high,  and  the  clay  strata,  in  lavender, 
yellow,  and  red,  is  very  striking.  For  the  first  time  in  the  journey  our 
pilot  seemed  in  doubt,  and  kept  the  lead  going  for  many  hours.  Then 
it  was  the  Captain  told  us  stories  about  running  ashore.  It  is  not  par- 
ticularly dangerous  when  the  river  is  rising,  as  one  is  sure  to  get  off  in  a 
few  days.  He  told  of  one  tramp  boat  that  ran  aground  five  times  on 


ITACOATIARA,      OR      SERPA. 


the  journey  from  Para  to  Manaos.  His  own  boat  was  hung  up  on  a 
mud  bank  once  for  13  days,  and  right  in  a  mosquito  colony  at  that.  Then 
there  was  a  Booth  boat  in  the  upper  river  that  was  fast  for  six  months 
up  on  the  bank  where  the  floods  had  left  it,  and  was  about  to  be  dis- 
mantled when  a  huge  section  of  the  river  bank  caved  in,  depositing  the 
boat,  right  side  up,  far  out  in  the  deep  water. 

Did  I  mention  that  we  had  some  hundreds  of  crickets  aboard,  and 
that  they  gave  nightly  concerts  ?  Like  the  cockroach  they  ate  soiled  hand- 
kerchiefs, starched  collars,  and  book  bindings,  but  they  were  not  sordid 
about  it.  They  did  stop  to  fiddle  now  and  then.  But  the  cockroach 
thinks  only  of  filling  his  little  tin  clad  belly,  and  racing  across  the  floor 
to  be  stepped  on  when  one  is  barefooted. 

In  the  upper  reaches  of  the  river,  at  least  along  the  banks,  there 


92  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

seemed  to  be  few  rubber  trees.  This  in  spite  of  the  statement  of  the 
ship's  doctor  that  all  of  the  large  ones  on  the  bank  were  rubber  trees — 
some  of  the  crew  had  told  him  so.  We  did  not  see  the  Parintins  hills 
above  Obidos,  which  mark  the  boundary  of  the  states  of  Para  and 
Amazonas,  because  the  rain  blotted  out  most  of  the  landscape.  When  it 
ceased  we  were  close  in  shore  opposite  a  great  ranch  where  were  cattle 
and  horses  by  the  hundred.  It  was  imported  stock  too.  One  huge 
snow  white  Indian  bull,  standing  like  a  statue  in  white  marble,  occupied 
the  foreground  until  we  passed  out  of  sight.  More  and  more  we  saw 
clayey  palisades,  riddled  with  holes  like  sand  martin's  nests,  their  tops 
draped  with  blossoming  vines,  the  body  of  the  bluff  often  made  up  of 
such  brilliant  colors  that  it  looked  like  a  petrified  rainbow.  In  the  little 
lagoons  and  eddies  were  natives  fishing,  and  often  times  a  turtle  hunter, 
bow  and  arrow  in  hand,  watching  the  water  for  a  shot.  It  was  growing 
warmer  all  the  time,  for  the  breeze  was  with  us,  and  the  smoke  of  the 
steamer  showed  it  by  drifting  upstream  a  little  faster  than  we  could  go. 

We  got  to  Serpa,  or  Itacoatiara,  which  is  situated  at  the  junction 
of  the  -Madeira,  just  at  nightfall.  Here  the  engineers  of  the  Madeira- 
Mamore  railroad  have  their  headquarters,  and  the  town  is  healthy,  lively 
and  interesting.  Here  also  is  the  home  of  an  American  named  Stone. 
He  has  thousands  of  acres  under  cultivation  and  is  prosperous,  capable, 
and  as  much  an  American  as  he  was  when  he  settled  here  40  years  ago. 

In  due  time  we  reached  the  junction  of  the  Rio  Negro  and  the 
Amazon,  or  the  Solimoes,  as  it  is  here  called.  The  Solimoes,  yellow, 
muddy,  swrift,  comes  resistlessly  in  from  the  south,  and,  meeting  the  slow, 
densely  black  flood  of  the  Rio  Negro,  holds  it  back,  shoulders  by  it, 
crowds  what  does  escape  downstream  to  the  northern  bank,  where  for  a 
time  it  shows  a  narrow  ribbon  of  black  water  and  then  disappears. 

Manaos  is  situated  up  the  Rio  Negro,  and  we  therefore  turned  into 
that  stream.  Crossing  the  water  line  it  was  startling  to  see  how  plain 
the  demarkation  was.  On  one  side  a  boiling  coffee  colored  flood,  on  the 
other  a  dead  black  lake.  Occasionally  an  island  of  coffee  colored  water 
appeared  boiling  and  swirling  on  the  inky  surface  of  the  Rio  Negro,  but 
of  blending  there  seemed  to  be  none.  Such  is  the  contrast  between  the 
quiet  black  Rio  Negro  and  the  swirling  yellow  Amazon  that  the  In- 
dians call  the  former  the  "dead  river"  and  the  latter  the  "living  river." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

ARRIVAL  AT  MANAOS — FLOATING  DOCKS  OF  THE  Rio  NEGRO — TRANSPORTATION 
BY  "BONDS" — THE  GREAT  CITY  OF  THE  WILDERNESS — RUBBER  REVENUES. 

LEAVING  the  muddy  Amazon,  we  were  soon  forging  through  the 
black  waters  of  the  Rio  Negro.  On  the  north  were  highbred,  clay 
banks,  rather  scantily  clothed  with  vegetation — that  is,  as  compared 
with  the  jungle  lands  below.  Native  houses  began  to  multiply  and  soon 
we  saw  the  Manaos  in  the  distance.  A  little  later  we  anchored  out  in  the 
stream,  as  several  ocean  steamers  which  were  discharging  at  the  floating 
docks  took  up  all  of  the  room.  Hardly  was  the  anchor  down  before  friends 
were  aboard  who  attended  to  all  of  the  customs  formalities,  and  we 
walked  by  the  Federal  and  State  customs  men  just  as  if  they  were  non 
existent,  and,  embarking  upon  a  launch,  were  soon  ashore. 

The  great  Rubber  Congress  was  in  session,  or  soon  to  be,  and  the 
Commercial  Association  paid  me  the  compliment  of  making  me  its  guest, 
with  the  privilege  of  living  at  a  hotel,  or  at  the  house  of  the  local  rep- 
resentative of  "Casa  Alden."  I  chose  the  latter,  for  had  I  not  met  him 
in  Boston  the  year  before,  and  was  he  not  an  American  with  an 
American  wife  and  Yankee  baby  born  in  Brazil? 

There  was  much  excitement  in  the  rubber  market  the  day  of  my 
arrival.  The  first  of  the  series  of  spectacular  jumps  that  carried  the 
precious  commodity  up  to  $3  per  pound  had  occurred,  and  then  the  river 
had  interrupted  the  cable.  Fortunately  there  was  little  rubber  in  to  quar- 
rel over,  but  everybody  was  on  the  qui  vive  just  the  same. 

We  walked  from  the  substantial  quays  that  form  the  boat  landing, 
past  the  imposing  custom  house,  to  one  of  the  rubber  warehouses,  and  sat 
there  and  chatted  and  smoked  while  we  cooled  off,  for  the  day  happened 
to  be  hot.  Then  we  visited  several  others  in  the  same  line  and  learned 
the  latest  news,  which  was  but  a  repetition  of  the  story  already  told. 
The  rubber  houses  in  Manaos  were  almost  exact  duplicates  of  those  in 
Para — a  huge  warehouse  on  the  ground  floor  for  receiving,  examining, 
and  boxing;  offices  on  the  floor  above,  always  with  a  large  staff  of 
assistants  and  clerks.  As  in  Para,  rubber  was  everywhere  in  evidence. 

93 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


95 


Open  wagons  loaded  with  it  passed  continually.  One  enterprising  house 
had  a  motor  truck  that  crashed  along  the  pavement  with  just  the  same 
awkward  energy  it  would  display  in  New  York  or  London. 

Later  we  took  a  carriage  and  drove  to  the  residence  where  I  was  to 
be  quartered;  a  fine  modern  house  in  the  residential  part  of  the  city, 
where  I  received  royal  entertainment  and  the  home  cooking  for  which 
my  soul  had  been  yearning. 

We  might  have  taken  the  "bond"  instead  of  a  carriage,  but  the  elec- 
tricity was  weak,  and  the  cars  were  only  crawling  as  they  made  their 


- 


EXAMINING     RUBBER      IN      MANAOS      WAREHOUSE. 


rounds.  In  answer  to  the  reader's  unspoken  question,  an  American  was 
the  first  man  to  build  a  stretch  of  mule  tram  cars  in  the  capital  of  what 
was  then  the  Empire  of  Brazil,  and  had  the  privilege  of  issuing  bonds  on 
the  value  of  his  franchise.  He  was  also  allowed  to  sell  tickets  for  pas- 
sages, wholesale,  and  these  became  so  handy  in  commercial  operations  that 
they  soon  formed  a  fair  part  of  the  circulating  medium.  To  these 
tickets,  the  name  of  "bonds"  was  given,  and  'soon  this  term  became  the 
recognized  word  for  street  cars  of  every  tramway  system  throughout 
the  country. 

The  street  subway  line  in  Manaos  was  built  by  Americans — in  fact,. 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


97 


financed  by  them — and  later  sold  to  the  government  and  for  a  time  the 
service  was  good.  Then  one  noon  the  engineer  and  his  helpers  had  their 
siesta  interrupted  by  the  blowing  out  of  a  cylinder  head  on  the  great 
engine.  Unfortunately  no  one  was  hurt,  the  aforementioned  public  ser- 
vants escaping.  At  the  time  of  my  arrival  new  equipment  was  going  in, 
competent  engineers  had  been  engaged  and  better  service  was  in  sight. 

After  dinner  that  evening  a  "Renault"  car  with  a  bright  yellow 
body  and  the  muffler  wide  open  drew  up  in  front  of  the  door.  It  was 
garrisoned  by  an  expert  driver  and  a  friendly  young  French  Brazilian- 
American  interpreter,  which  car  and  appendages  I  learned  had  been 


THE   AUTHOR,    HIS   INTERPRETER,    AND  THE   "RENAULT." 


placed  at  my  disposal  during  my  stay  in  the  city.     One  of  the  first  uses 
to  which  I  put  it  was  to  tour  the  town. 

The  city  itself  is  a  counterpart  of  what  a  young,  rich,  North  Ameri- 
can city  would  be  that  had  grown  up  overnight.  Not  architecturally,  of 
course,  for  the  tropical  world  envolves  a  style  of  its  own,  and  gorgeous 
colorings  come  without  bidding  and  are  most  fitting.  The  public  build- 
ings were  beautiful;  particularly  the  $2,000,000  theater  situated  on  an 
eminence  in  the  middle  of  the  city  dominating  all  the  rest.  Palaces, 
parks,  libraries,  hospitals,  were  very  fine.  Sandwiched  in  between  them 
were  waste  places,  old  fashioned  tiled  residences,  and  much  that  showed 
the  sudden  growth  of  the  city,  but  all  this  was  being  rapidly  changed. 


98 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


When  one  considers  that  this  city  is  a  thousand  miles  from  the  seacoast, 
in  the  heart  of  a  vast  tropical  jungle,  with  wild  Indians  within  a  hundred 
miles  of  it,  its  presence  seems  incredible.  In  a  way,  it  is  as  modern  as 
New  York  or  Chicago.  The  latest  Parisian  fashions  are  there,  and  al- 
most anything  that  civilized  man  desires  obtainable.  Prices  are  high,  to  be 
sure,  because  both  luxuries  and  necessities  are  imported  and  subject  to  a 
duty  of  100  per  cent.  But  when  something  besides  rubber  is  produced 
by  the  magnificently  fertile  lands  that  surround  it,  Manaos  will  be  one  of 
the  great  and  beautiful  cities  of  the  world  and  living  as  reasonable  as 
anywhere. 

Both  the  State  and  the  Federal  revenues  naturally  come  very  largely 


TRANSFERRING    CASES    OF    RUBBER    BY    AERIAL    CABLES. 


from  rubber.  These  taxes  are  assessed  on  the  average  price  at  which 
rubber  is  sold  for  a  certain  period.  The  Amazonas  State  tax  on  rubber 
is  19  per  cent.  There  are  minor  taxes  on  rubber  also — for  instance, 
local  improvement  taxes  of  i  to  2  per  cent. 

The  state  of  Amazonas,  in  the  '8o's,  passed  a  law  assessing  an  export 
tax  of  $500  on  every  rubber  plant  exported  and  $100  on  every  kilogram  of 
rubber  seed  exported.  It  was  also  forbidden  to  tap  any  rubber  tree  that 
was  not  25  years  old,  the  fine  being  $1,000.  Furthermore  a  premium  of 
$1,000  was  offered  for  each  1,000  rubber  trees,  planted  and  cultivated, 
when  they  should  arrive  at  the  age  of  two  years. 

The  city  has  naturally  elements  of  the  picturesque.  It  is  built  on 
a  group  of  hills,  and  while  this  has  involved  much  cutting  and  filling,  and 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


99 


many  retaining  walls,  it  adds  both  to  its  sightliness  and  healthfulness. 
Some  in  Manaos  have  the  ambition,  which  may  not  be  as  wild  as  it  seems 
at  first,  to  negotiate  a  short  cut  to  the  United  States  by  way  of  British- 
Guiana.     All  they  would  have  to  do  would  be  to  go  up  the  Rio  Branco, 
cross  to  the  Essequibo,  and  come  out  at  Georgetown,  Demerara. 

Dominating  vast  fertile  plains,  drained  by  the  Rio  Negro,  the 
Solimoes,  and  the  Madeira,  with  their  mighty  tributaries,  the  wealth  that 
is  sure  to  flow  into  this  center  is  incalculable.  To-day  the  main  export- 


THE    AUTHOR    IN    AN    AMERICAN    HOME,    MANAOS. 


ing  business,  rubber  and  Brazil  nuts,  is  handled  by  Portuguese,  Brazilian, 
German,  English,  and  American  firms,  less  than  20  in  number. 

The  people  of  the  city  had  an  exceedingly  alert  carriage— surprising- 
ly so  for  those  who  dwelt  on  the  equator.  Laborers,  whether  busy 
at  the  docks  or  in  the  warehouses,  were  really  working.  Perhaps  they 
ought  to,  for  they  received  somewhere  from  15  to  20  milreis  a  day. 

I  do  not  think  I  spoke  of  the  magnificent  spread  of  the  river  in  front 
of  the  city.  It  forms  a  great  pool,  four  or  five  miles  wide  and  deep 


IOO 


THE  RUBBER  COUXTRY 


enough  at  low  water  to  accommodate  ocean  steamers.  During  the 
rainy  season  the  river  rises  from  30  to  40  feet,  and  this  was  why  the 
company  that  had  the  concession  to  build  docks  passed  so  many  sleepless 
nights.  They  have  finally  anchored  huge  docks  a  little  way  off  shore, 
and  when  the  river  rises  pay  out  the  anchored  cables  so  that  the  dock- 
rises  with  it.  Goods  are  sent  ashore  from  these  docks  on  long  aerial 
cables.  I  was  told  that  it  cost  38  cents  to  transfer  each  case  of  rubber 
from  the  pier  to  the  deck.  Not  a  long  journey,  but  expensive  when  one 


CUSTOM      HOUSE,      MANAOS. 


considers  that  that  is  just  about  what  it  would  cost  to  ship  the  same  case 
from  New  York  to  Australia. 

The  floating  dock  was  built  by  the  Manaos  Harbor  Co.,  Limited, 
a  company  made  up  of  Brazilian  capitalists,  English  and  Brazilian  steam- 
ship companies,  a  wealthy  English  rubber  importing  company,  and  others. 
This  company  under  contract  with  the  Brazilian  government  built  a  fine 
custom  house  and  a  quay  with  an  earth  backing,  the  length  of  the  city's 
water  front.  The  land  reclaimed  by  filling  became  their  property.  In 
addition  to  this  they  received,  for  building  the  floating  dock  quays  and 
storehouses,  the  right  to  levy  tolls  for  60  years.  The  transfer  of  cargo 


OF    THE    AMAZON  '* 


101 


FLOATING     DOCKS      AND      AERIAL     CABLES. 


from  the  ship's  hold  to  the  warehouse  is  a  long  step  in  advance  of  the 
ancient  method  in  vogue  in  Manaos  harbor,  which  involved  anchoring  in 
midstream,  transferring  to  barges,  .loading  into  carts,  unloading  at  the 
warehouse,  boxing,  carting  to  the  pier,  loading  again  into  barges  and 
finally  into  the  steamer  that  took  it  down  river. 


ROADWAY     TO     FLOATING     DOCKS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  BOSQUE  AND  EXPERIMENTAL  RUBBER  PLANTINGS — REAL  WILD  INDIANS — 
EXPLORING,  UP  THE  Rio  NEGRO — RUBBER  AT  "PARADIZO"  RANCH — DRINKING 
"Cupussu" — THE  COMMERCIAL  ASSOCIATION  RUBBER  EXHIBITION — TROPICAL  COLDS 
AND  COUGHS — MANAOS  MOSQUITOS — ROASTED  AMAZONIAN  TURTLE — RUBBER  TREE- 
PLANTING  DAY. 

I  WAS  pretty  busy,  for  the  Rubber  Congress  was  on,  and  the  meetings 
were  exceedingly  interesting.  As  the  detailed  story  of  that  great 
convention  has  already  been  told,  I  am  going  to  confine  myself  to 
the  more  personal  narrative.  For  example,  the  visit  of  four  of  us  to  the 
Bosque — the  very  extensive  experiment  station  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
city.  We  went  in  carriages  as  far  as  we  could,  then  up  to  the  broad 
plateau  where  the  planting  was  done.  There  were  some  thousands  of 
Hcvea  trees  planted  in  partial  shade  in  paths  cut  through  the  jungle. 
They  were  doing  nicely,  and  although  it  will  take  them  a  trifle  longer 
to  mature,  I  believe  the  planting  will  be  most  successful.  We  also  ex- 
amined a  large  planting  of  bananas.  As  this  fruit  brings  8  milreis  a  bunch 
in  the  field,  this  experiment  also  should  be  successful. 

Then  we  explored,  walking  through  wonderfully  beautiful  forest 
paths,  down  by  the  old  waterworks  with  its  big*  cement  tanks  now  aban- 
doned, into  the  great  forest  park  that  one  of  the  former  governors  had 
projected.  Other  and  more  needed  improvements  had  absorbed  the  city's 
money,  and  the  jungle  was  rapidly  and  effectually  recovering  its  own. 
Outside  of  the  park  we  hunted  for  wild  Heveas,  but  found  only  the  Guyan- 
ensis.  There  was  also  a  vine  which  we  could  not  identify,  full  of  very 
sticky,  rubbery  latex. 

In  Manaos  the  laborers  are  practically  of  the  same  type  as  in  Para, 
except  that  the  Indian  mixture  seems  a  little  more  evident.  One  is  nearer 
the  great  wild  tribes  of  the  upper  rivers,  so  that  the  blowgun  with  its 
poisoned  arrows,  necklaces  of  human  teeth,  and  feather  headdresses  are 
often  brought  in.  Occasionally,  too,  specimens  of  the  real  wild  Indian 
may  be  seen.  A  young  Englishman  whom  I  met  had  spent  some 
months  up  in  the  Putamayo  district  and  brought  down  with  him  a  nine, 
year  old  boy  as  body  servant  who  was  a  veritable  little  savage.  Friendly 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


103 


WATERWORKS,        MANAOS. 


THEATRO     AMAZONAS,     MANAOS. 


IO4 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


and  smiling  he  was  when  all  went  right,  a  murderous  little  tiger  if  things 
went  wrong.  He  would  accept  reproof  from  his  master  but  from  no  one 
else.  One  day  a  man  servant  struck  him  and  his  master  returned  two 
hours  later  to  find  the  boy  sitting  in  the  courtyard,  a.  loaded  Winchester 
across  his  knees,  and  all  the  servants  hidden  in  a  hastily  barricaded  room 
from  which  they  dared  not  emerge.  Had  the  offender  shown  himself 
the  boy  would  certainly  have  shot  him. 

The  president  of  the  Commercial  Association,  although  he  bore  a 
German  name,  was  not  phlegmatic.  Indeed,  he  had  abjured  Teutonia 
and  was  a  Brazilian  of  the  Brazilians.  Athlete,  sportsman,  bon  vivant, 


RIVER    EXCURSION     NEAR     MANAOS. 


business  man,  he  defied  climate  and  care,  was  always  on  the  move,  and 
kept  others  moving  also.  It  was  he  who  chartered  the  Supremo,,  a  typical 
little  river  steamer,  and  took  a  few  of  us  up  to  the  Rio  Negro  for  a 
day's  jaunt. 

The  "black  river"  for  miles  and  miles  up  into  the  interior  is  nothing 
less  than  a  chain  of  great  lakes,  and  my  host  unfold'ed  a  weird  scheme  for 
navigating  it  by  means  of  boat  aeroplanes,  which,  like  gigantic  flying  fish, 
should  skip  from  one  lake  to  another.  He  made  it  appear  quite  feasible, 
and  if  such  a  thing  is  ever  done  he  will  be  just  the  one  to  furnish  the 
courage  and  dash  to  put  it  through. 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


105 


Our  first  pleasurable  experience  on  this  voyage  was  breakfast  served 
on  an  ingenious  table,  which,  when  not  in  use,  folded  its  legs,  rose  to 
the  ceiling,  and  hung  high  above  our  heads.  The  meal  was  excellent — 
a  freshly  caught  river  fish,  the  pescadas,  a  wonderful  salad,  fruit  and 
coffee. 

Out  of  sight  and  sound  of  the  city  the  solitude  was  oppressive. 
It  may  have  been  that  the  jungle  covered  shores  had  lost  their  charm 
or — and  this  is  more  likely — it  may  have  been  the  total  absence  of  bird 
and  animal  life  for  which  the  Rio  Negro  is  noted. 

Soon  we  entered  an  estuary  and  after  an  hour  or  more  of  steady 
steaming  sighted  a  clearing  that  indicated  our  near  approach  to  "Paradizo" 


VIEW   ON    THE    RIO    NEGRO    NEAR    MANAOS. 


ranch.  Hardly  had  we  got  ashore  before  we  saw  rubber  trees,  and  many 
of  them.  Much  to  my  surprise  they  were  planted  in  regular  rows  and 
were  big,  young,  and  lusty.  I  had  heard  only  the  day  before,  from  one 
well  versed  in  rubber,  that  the  Hevea  Brasiliensis  would  not  grow  up 
the  Negro.  Yet  here  it  was.  This  planting,  although  20  feet  above  the 
water  as  it  then  stood,  was  subject  to  inundations  and  apparently  suffered 
no  harm,  while  further  up  the  slope  were  trees  equally  large  and  healthy 
that  were  above  high  water  mark..  The  Botanist  of  our  party  soon  dis- 
covered a  borer  beetle  that  was  industriously  puncturing  many  of  the 
trees,  and  we  fell  to  and  helped  him  to  coax  larvce  out  of  their  holes  for 
later  entomological  examination.  If  I  know  anything  about  that  Botanist, 


io6 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


and  I  think  I  do,  he  will  make. that  particular  breed  of  beetle  sorry  that 
it  ever  tackled  rubber  trees. 

Later  we  visited  the  comfortable  ranch  houses,  saw  them  make 
cassava,  admired  the  beautiful  flower  gardens,  filled  our  pockets  with 
Hevea  nuts,  and  turned  toward  our  boat  and  Manaos.  It  was  on  this 
excursion  that  we  tried  cupussu,  a  drink  made  from  a  creamy,  pulpy 
fruit  that  is  deliciously  refreshing.  The  proper  way  to  imbibe  it  is  to 
slowly  sip  a  goblet  of  it,  then  swallow  half  a  pint  of  gin  to  head  off  the 


PLANTATION     HOUSE    ON    RIO    NEGRO. 


cramps,  then  a  cup  of  black  coffee  to  head  off  the  gin.  One  of  our 
party  who  despised  gin  and  did  not  care  for  coffee  was  the  busiest  man  in 
all  Brazil  for  24  hours  after  finishing  his  goblet. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  of  the  sights  in  Manaos  was  the  double 
exhibition  of  Amazonian  products.  I  call  it  double  because  there  was 
first  a  rubber  exhibition  arranged  by  the  Commercial  Association  for  those 
attending  the  Congress,  and  in  the  same  building  a  varied  collection  of 
native  products  that  were  to  go  to  a  European  world's  fair.  In  the 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


107 


former  were  specimens  of  fine  and  coarse  Para  rubber,  of  caucho,  and 
a  great  pellc  of  rather  sticky  rubber  from  the  Hevea  Guyanensis.  One 
enterprising  and  wealthy  scringuciro  had  prepared  block,  crepe,  and  pan- 
cake rubber  after  the  fashion  of  the  preparation  in  the  Far  East  and  it 
certainly  was  as  good  as  any  plantation  rubber  in  the  world.  There  were 
also  gathered  and  shown  all  of  the  tapping  and  coagulating  tools  and 
utensils  used  in  Brazilian  rubber  gathering. 

What  the  country  had  done  agriculturally  and  industrially  was  shown 
in  the  wonderful  exhibits  of  cereals,  textiles,  coffee,  cacao,  and  woods 


RIO  NEGRO  "PELLE"  OR  RUBBER  BALL  OF  700  KILOGRAMS.  AT  MANAOS  EXHIBITION. 


of  all  degrees  of  hardness,  beauty  of  polish  and  variety  of  grain.  There 
was  also  ornate  feather  work,  gorgeous  native  embroideries,  and  won- 
derful hammocks. 

These  exhibitions  were  opened  by  the  Governor  in  person,  and  all 
came  in  frock  coats  and  tall  hats.  As  each  visitor  entered  the  door,  the 
Police  Band,  which  was  lying  in  wait  in  an  alcove,  burst  forth  with  a 
brazen  crash  of  welcome,  while  the  newcomer,  trying  to  look  dignified 
and  free  from  self  consciousness,  wabbled  through  the  vestibule  and 
lost  himself  in  the  crowd  where  he  could  watch  the  next  fellow  do  the 
same  thing. 

I  did  not  find  the  heat  too  oppressive.     It  got  up  in  the  QO'S  some- 


io8 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


times,  and  there  was  the  usual  fight  against  mildew,  which  proved  it  to 
be  somewhat  damp.  Mine  Host,  his  wife,  and  the  baby  all  came  down 
with  severe  colds  while  I  was  there,  which  I  believe  was  wholly  due 
to  the  dampness.  I  do  not  expect  to  make  Manaos  my  permanent  resi- 
dence, although  one  might  do  worse,  but  if  I  do,  my  sleeping  quarters 
will  be  on  the  second  floor  and  not  on  the  ground  floor,  for  that  is  where 
one  takes  cold,  and  a  cold  once  taken  in  the  tropics  is  as  hard  to  cure 
as  a  sprained  disposition. 

Another  thing,  every  window  and  door  in  my  house  should  have 
screens,  even  if  none  other  in  the  city  followed  suit.    The  yellow  fever 


MACHINE    FOR    SMOKING    LATEX. 
(Earthen    smoking    cone    on    the    extreme    right.) 


mosquito  is  a  city  dweller,  and  if  he  was  driven  out  of  Panama  by  screen- 
ing and  a  little  sanitation,  he  can  be  out  of  Manaos.  The  government 
is  alive  to  it,  but  the  people,  foreigners  and  all,  seem  indifferent.  While 
I  was  there  the  Inspector  Sanitaria  sent  out  a  circular  illustrated  with 
pictures  of  mosquitos,  which  was  passed  from  house  to  house.  It  was, 
however,  in  Portuguese,  and  I  was  unable  to  decide  whether  the  Cule.r, 
kneeling  in  prayerful  attitude,  or  the  Anopheles,  standing  on  its  head 
as  if  about  to  turn  a  joyful  somersault,  was  the  one  to  avoid. 

At  first  I  kept  close  tabs  on  the  death  rate  in  the  daily  papers  through 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


109 


my  Companion.  I  showed  him  the  Portuguese  word  for  fever,  and  his 
statistics  grew  larger  day  by  day.  Finally  I  discovered  that  he  believed 
that  Fevereiro  (February)  meant  fever.  Therefore,  if  it  happened  to 


RUBBER    TREE    PLANTED    BY    THE    AUTHOR    IN    MANAOS. 


be  the  2oth  of  the  month,  dispatches  of  the  day  before  would  appear 
throughout  the  paper  "Fevereiro  19."  Adding  them  up  he  got  a  daily 
death  rate  of  something  like  350  and  sure  to  increase  to  the  end  of  the 


no 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


month.     It  speaks  much  for  his  self  poise  that  he  was  not  at  all  startled, 
even  if  I  was. 

One  of  my  early  visits  was  to  the  Governor,  who  impressed  me  as 
most  anxious  to  give  his  State  a  capable,  businesslike  administration.  I 
attended  all  of  the  functions  that  made  up  that  notable  week  from  the 


CHURCH     OF    ST.    SEBASTIAN,     MANAOS. 


laying  of  the  corner  stone  of  the  new  brewery  to  my  own  lectures  in  the 
Theatro  Amazonas.  I  enjoyed  official  breakfasts,  private  dinners,  and 
"sing  songs."  But  of  all  the  meals,  some  of  which  were  magnificently 
served,  none  tickles  the  palate  of  my  memory  like  the  turtle  roasted 
in  the  shell  with  farinha  that  my  hostess  prepared  for  me.  It  was  in- 


OF    THE    AMAZON  in 

describably  delicious.  At  last  I  could  comprehend  how  an  Indian  could 
stand  day  after  day  in  a  cranky  canoe,  in  the  broiling  sun,  on  the  off 
chance  of  shooting  an  arrow  up  into  the  sky,  that  it  might  drop,  impale, 
and  secure  this  most  delicious  of  crustaceans. 

It  was  my  suggestion,  and  I  am  proud  of  it,  that  got  the  Governor, 
his  staff,  and  a  dignified  committee  out  of  their  beds  very  early  one  morn- 
ing to  plant  Hcvea  rubber  trees  in  one  of  the  public  parks.  It  seemed  as  if 
in  that  great  city  some  one  ought  to  know  how  the  tree  looked  that  pro- 
duced its  wealth.  Yet  few  of  the  business  men  could  tell  me  whether 
the  leaves  of  the  Hevea  Brasiliensis  grew  in  clusters  of  three  or  thirty- 
three.  So  I  suggested  city  planting  and  they  assented  with  enthusiasm. 

The  Governor  planted  his  tree,  the  President  of  the  Association  his, 
I  planted  mine,  then  came  Dr.  Huber,  with  many  others,  and  we  sprinkled 
that  beautiful  park  with  thrifty  seedlings  that,  according  to  latest  ad- 
vices, "are  doing  well." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

STEAMERS  OF  THE  AMAZON — INTERESTING  BITS  OF  HISTORY — MAIL  DELIVERY  ON 
THE  UPPER  RIVERS — THE  "ASSOCIACAO  COMMERCIAL    DO    AMAZONS" — "BORRACHA"- 
THE  LAND  OF  "Poco  Poco" — FOOTPRINTS  OF   VISITING  AMERICANS — NINE   DOLLAR 
HEAD  TAX — OFF  FOR  THE  SOLIOMOES. 

MAXAOS  has  direct  sailings  for  the  United  States  and  Europe,  and 
a  great  fleet  of  steamers,  big  and  little,  that  go  to  all  the  upper 
rivers,  even  to  the  slopes  of  the  Andes. 

The  carrying  trade  of  the  Amazon  is  done,  first,  by  ocean  going  boats 
of  such  lines  as  the  Booth,  Hamburg-American,  and  Lloyd  Brasileiro, 
many  of  which  visit  Para  and  Manaos  only,  while  others  go  a  thousand 
miles  further  up  to  Iquitos ;  second,  by  a  fleet  of  river  steamers,  several 
hundred  in  number,  that  belong  some  to  individuals  and  some  to  com- 
panies. The  Amazon  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Limited,  for  example,  the 
oldest,  has  about  forty  steamers  and  many  tugs  and  lighters.  Their 
boats  are  from  150  to  800  tons  burden,  and  the  company  is  subsidized 
by  both  State  and  Federal  governments  to  run  regularly  up  some  of  the 
great  tributaries  of  the  Amazon. 

Time  was  when  the  flat  bottomed  stern-wheel  Mississippi  type  of 
steamer  was  very  generally  used,  but  it  has  practically  disappeared.  The 
twin  screw  steamer  is  to  day  the  usual  thing — that  is,  for  the  better 
class  of  river  boats.  Some  of  these  are  fitted  with  electric  fans,  ice 
machines  and  excellent  accommodations  for  first  class  passengers.  The 
boats  are  usually  two  deckers,  both  being  open.  The  lower  deck  is  for 
the  engine,  cargo,  animals,  crew,  and  third  class  passengers.  This  deck 
is  usually  loaded  in  layers — merchandise,  mules  and  dogs  at  the  bottom, 
passengers  in  hammocks  just  above,  with  an  animated  top  layer  of  par- 
rots, monkeys,  and  insects.  The  upper  deck,  reserved  for  officers  and  first 
class  passengers,  has  a  few  four  bunk  cabins  and  a  long  table  aft  where 
meals  are  served,  and  is  very  comfortable. 

The  real  beginning  of  steam-navigation  on  the  Amazon  was  in  1853, 
when  a  Brazilian  company  ran  regular  steamers  between  Para  and 
Manaos.  In  1866  Brazil  declared  the  Amazon  a  free  waterway.  This, 
however,  does  not  mean  the  river  all  the  way  up  to  Iquitos,  nor  does  it 


OF    THE    AMAZON  113 

include  the  great  tributaries.  It  means  the  Amazon  from  the  Atlantic 
up  to  where  the  Rio  Negro  enters  it,  900  odd  miles  away.  Thus  under 
a  strict  ruling,  Manaos,  which  is  five  miles  up  on  the  Rio  Negro,  and  the 
settlements  on  the  Solimoes  up  to  Iquitos,  would  be  deprived  of  this 
boon.  The  result  is  that  the  great  affluents  of  the  Amazon  are  navigated 
only  by  vessels  that  sail  under  the  Brazilian  flag,  except  under  special 
treaty. 

Several  Brazilian  companies  started  soon  after  this,  but  their  ex- 
istence was  brief  and  they  sold  their  steamers  to  private  firms.  In  1872 
the  Amazon  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Limited,  was  registered  and  equipped 
especially  for  work  on  the  Amazon.  This  consisted  mainly  in  handling 


PALACE     OF     JUSTICE,     MANAOS. 


freights  and  passengers  between  Para  and  Manaos.  By  means  of  sub- 
sidies and  special  concessions,  however,  they  were  induced  to  extend  the 
service  to  most  of  the  important  affluents  of  the  Amazon.  For  example, 
they  were  allowed  to  raise  freight  rates  25  per  cent,  and  passenger  tariffs 
30  per  cent.  In  return  for  this  they  agreed  to  run  more  boats  on  the 
Madeira  and  Purus  and  to  establish  a  monthly  service  on  the  Araguary 
river. 

Of  the  hundreds  of  steamers  privately  owned  no  two  are  exactly 
alike.  All  types  of  engines  are  represented,  and  of  propellers  one  would 
not  believe  that  so  many  patterns  had  ever  been  made^-a  great  handicap 
in  repairing.  These  boats  do  not  pretend  to  run  on  schedule  time.  They 
leave  when  they  get  ready,  go  where  they  choose,  and  arrive  when  they 


114 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


can.  The  result  is  a  great  deal  of  wasted  effort.  It  often  happens,  on 
the  main  river  or  some  of  the  great  tributaries,  that  a  party  expecting  the 
boat  will  wait  for  days  and  finally  go  back  in  disgust  to  their  scringal. 
Then  a  week  or  more  later  the  boat  arrives  and  sends  out  an  expedition 
to  find  the  seringal  and  secure  its  freight. 

According  to  Brazilian  law  any  and  every  boat  navigating  their 
waters  must  carry  mail  if  requested  to  do  so,  and  that,  without  re- 
compense. A  wise  old  Portuguese  sea  captain  described  to  me  the  mail 
carrying  of  some  of  these  smaller  boats  that  went  far  into  the  interior. 
Not  being  paid  for  the  service  the  owners  were  resentful,  and  sometimes 


COMMERCIAL    ASSOCIATION    BUILDING,    MANAOS. 


when  away  from  the  restraints  of  civilization  the  mail  bags  were  viciously 
dumped  overboard.  At  other  times  they  were  completely  forgotten, 
and  after  months  of  journeying  were  brought  back  and  delivered  to  the 
postoffice  from  which  they  started. 

Of  great  importance  to  city  and  state  is  the  Associacdo  Commercial 
do  Amazonas,  Every  business  house  in  Manaos,  of  any  prominence — 
Brazilian,  Portuguese,  English,  German,  and  American — is  represented  in 
this  Association.  Nor  is  this  all ;  business  interests  throughout  the  state 
of  Amazonas,  particularly  in  the  upper  Amazon,  are  also  members.  It  is 
really  a  State  Board  of  Trade,  active,  progressive  and  comprehensive,  and 
vital. 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


JARDIM    DA    PRACA    GENERAL    OSORIO,    MANAOS. 


'VICTORIA  REGIA"  IN  ESTUARY  OF  THE  AMAZON. 


n6 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


Organized  35  years  ago,  its  history  has  been  marked  by  varying 
degrees  of  activity,  but  it  has  stimulated  cooperation  in  the  direction 
of  the  general  welfare  of  the  city  and  state.  Its  work  has  been  much 
broadened  since  its  reorganization  under  the  new  statutes  of  May  28, 
1908. 

The  visitor  to  the  Amazon  country,  whatever  tongue  he  may  speak, 
soon  learns  some  Portuguese.  One  word  in  particular  impresses  itself 
upon  him  from  the  beginning,  that  is  borracha.  He  hears  it  in  the  streets 
of  the  cities,  on  the  river  steamers,  in  the  jungle,  and  soon  learns  that  it 
means  "rubber."  Like  all  people  of  Latin  extraction,  the  Brazilians 


JARDIM   DA  PRACA  DA   CQNSTITUCAO,   MANAOS. 

are  very  apt  in  coining  expressive  phrases.  They  often  call  india-rubber 
ouro  preto  (black  gold),  a  fascinating  term,  perfect  in  its  complete  sug- 
gestiveness. 

Some  people  at  Manaos  are  still  wrathful  over  an  article  published 
in  a  New  York  daily  back  in  1907,  entitled  "Peter  Panning  in  the 
Land  of  Poco  Poco."  It  was  an  alleged  interview  with  Casper  Whitney, 
illustrated  by  reproductions  of  photographs,  such  as  all  tourists  may  pur- 
chase anywhere  in  Brazil.  One  of  these  was  labeled  "Indian  of  the  Up- 
per Amazon  Never  Before  Seen  by  White  Man."  Another  pictured  In- 
dians found  only  in  the  Argentine  republic,  some  2,000  miles  from  the 
region  in  which  "Peter  Pan"  was  "pocopocoing."  By  keeping  the  canoe 
"  close  in  shore  he  fortunately  slipped  by  without  attracting  the  attention 
of  these  savages ! 


OF    THE   AMAZON 


117 


He  went  cautiously  up  the  Amazon  as  far  as  Rio  Negro,  where  he 
found  that  "steamboat  navigation  ceases."  Here  he  took  to  canoe,  paddled 
past  Manaos,  with  its  waterfront  crowded  with  buildings  and  its  huge 
floating  docks,  passing  through  the  fleets  of  ocean  going  steamers~that 
crowd  the  river  basin  even  to  midstream,  and  saw  only  jungle  covered 
shores  and  watery  wastes  never  before  trodden  by  the  foot  of  white  man. 
From  danger  to  danger,  from  little  jeopardy  to  great  jeopardy,  he  ad- 
vanced up  to  the  Casiquiare  river.  His  adventures  were  marvelous. 


STAFF    HOUSE,    FOR   AMERICAN    CLERKS,    MANAOS. 


He  fought  his  way  through  schools  of  crocodiles  that  slew  natives  right 
and  left ;  slept  in  trees  while  cannibals  held  orgies  on  the  ground  beneath, 
and  at  last — worn,  ragged,  half  starved,  but  with  unfaltering  imagination 
—he  came  down  the  Orinoco,  never  before  seen  by  white  man,  and  was 
safe. 

Peter  need  not  go  so  far  afield  for  material.  A  little  "panning" 
nearer  home  would  surely  get  color.  Why  not  offer  his  daily  story  on 
"Jigging  for  Giraffes  in  Jersey  City,"  and  be  back  in  the  hall  bedroom) 
before  dark? 


n8  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

A  city  so  far  removed  from  New  York  as  Manaos  is  an  ideal  re- 
flector of  the  sort  of  permanent  impression  a  foreign  visitor  leaves  behind 
him.  It  is  usually  some  particular  idiosyncrasy,  mannerism,  or  fad  that 
is  held  in  remembrance.  Thus,  for  example,  Manaos  remembered  a 
speculative  rubber  promoter  as  possessing  a  very  broad,  tooth  showing 
smile  ;  a  millionaire  yachtsman  and  Wall  Street  magnate  as  a  good  natured 
"prince  of  perspiration" ;  a  New  York  city  official,  once  in  rubber,  as 
dictating  .to  three  stenographers  at  once  (why  didn't  he  hire  one  good 
one?),  and  so  on. 

Perhaps  the  one  whom  they  remembered  best,  and  with  surprised 
awe,  was  a  certain  boyish  American,  who  appeared  on  the  arcnida,  coat- 
less,  vestless — the  only  man  in  Manaos  without  belt  or  sash,  his  trousers 
held  up  by  good,  old-fashioned  "galluses."  This  youngster  crossed  the 
Andes,  bought  rubber,  came  down  the  Madeira  and  got  it  through  to 
New  York  at  a  profit.  Not  only  that,  but  he  engaged  to  build  a  Madeira- 
Mamore  railway.  Others  got  concessions  to  be  sure,  and  he  did.not, 
but  it  was  not  owing  to  his  lack  of  ambition. 

When  the  time  came  for  our  departure  from  Manaos,  the  stesi/nboat 
company  allowed  us  to  go  down  on  a  cargo  boat.  At  first  the  officials 
strongly  advised  our  waiting  for  a  week  for  one  of  the  regular  passenger 
boats,  picturing  the  discomforts  of  a  vessel  not  fitted  for  passengers, 
but  finally  capitulated. 

One  very  interesting  formality  that  we  were  obliged  to  go  through 
before  leaving  Manaos  was  the  payment  of  a  head  tax  amounting  to  $9 
for  permission  to  leave  the  country.  I  tried  to  get  the  official  to  make 
it  $8.98,  but  got  not  the  slightest  encouragement.  I  was  further  obliged 
to  deposit  with  the  steamship  company  $50  to  be  turned  over  to  the 
hospital  board  in  Barbados  for  care  or  funeral  expenses  in  case  1  arrived 
at  that  careful  island  with  yellow  fever. 

Early  on  Sunday  morning,  therefore,  we  said  our  good  byes  and  made 
our  way  down  to  the  pier,  where  a  delegation  from  the  Commercial  Asso- 
ciation was  waiting  to  bid  us  bon  voyage.  We  all  shook  hands  and  saici 
nice  things  to  each  other ;  the  president  gave  me  a  beautiful  spray  of 
orchids,  the  Catalaya  sitperba,  and  with  a  final  adieu  we  went  aboard. 
Shortly  after,  the  boat  started  down  the  river.  Our  last  glimpse  of 
Manaos  as  we  steamed  away  was  the  huge  dome  of  the  theater,  its  rich 
blending  of  red,  blue,  yellow,  and  green  tiling  blazing  in  the  sunlight 
like  a  gigantic  fire  opal.  We  passed  by  the  red  clay  shores,  and  at 
length  out  of  the  black  water  of  the  Rio  Negro  into  the  yellow  Amazon 
again. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

RAILROAD  BUILDING  IN  THE  HEART  OF  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY — THE  CATARACTS  OF 
THE  MADEIRA — "BATELAOS" — MADEIRA-MA  MORE  CONCESSION — THE  GREAT  CAMP  AT 
PORTO  VELHO — CARIPUNA  INDIANS. 

*- 

I   HAVE  already  mentioned  the  great  number  of  workers,  engineers 
and  others,  whom  we  met  going  and  coming  from  the  headquarters 
of  the  Madeira-Mamore  railway,  but  it  was  not  until  I  got  to 
Manaos  that  I  really  appreciated  what  a  great  undertaking  it  was,  and' 
how  energetically  it  was  handled.     One  of  the  partners  in  the  contracting 
firm  that  was  putting  the  road  through  resided  there,  and  I  got  to  know 
him  well.  .  His  official  headquarters  were  at  Manaos.     But  Itacoatiara,  at 
the   mouth  of   the   Madeira   river,   was   the  place   where   supplies  were 
stored,  and  many  of  the  men  housed  going  and  coming  from  the  railroad 
camps. 

•  The  Madeira,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  the  Amazon's  greatest 
tributary.  It  comes  from  Bolivia  and  furnishes  about  the  only  outlet  for 
that  landlocked  republic.  From  where  it  enters  the  Amazon  to  San  An- 
tonio, nearly  500  miles  away,  it  is  navigable  by  ocean  steamers.  Then 
come  250  miles  of  rapids,  in'  which  there  are  nineteen  cataracts.  When 
the  water  is  high,  the  big  rubber  batcldos  are  able  to  get  through  by 
floating  part  of  the  way  and  making  portages  around  the  falls,  but  shoot- 
ing the  rapids.  These  portages  are  furnished  with  narrow  guage  tracks. 
The  batcldos  are  unloaded,  pulled  upon  a  small  truck,  and  dragged  up 
over  the  hills,  and  then  eased  down  on  the  other  side.  The  return  trip 
involves  25  portages,  and  three  trips  a  year  are  all  that  is  possible.  The 
enormous  effort  required  in  moving  these  heavy  boats  can  hardly  be 
imagined.  Every  season  at  low  water  new  roadways  must  be  made  by, 
clearing  the  great  boulders  out  of  the  river  bed,  and  then  laying  a  cor- 
duroy road  of  green  poles,  over  which  the  keels  of  the  bateldos  can  slip. 
Where  it  is  possible  they  use  block  and  tackle  to  help  in  pulling,  but  some- 
times everything  must  be  done  by  main  strength. 

There  is  a  loss  of  10  to  15  per  cent,  of  the  rubber  sent  down  by  the 
upsetting  of  the  scows.  Not  only  that  but  many  men  are  drowned. 
The  batcldos,  by  the  way  are  flat  bottomed  scows  30  feet  long  and  8  feet 

119 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


121 


wide,  and  carry  about  10  tons  of  rubber.  They  are  manned  by  16 
paddlers,  or  baieleiros,  and  usually  make  the  journey  down  in  20  days, 
while  it  takes  60  to  return.  Transportation  difficulties  particularly  where 
there  are  cataracts  as  there  are  in  the  Madeira,  are  very  great.  For  ex- 
ample, the  journey  from  Para  to  the  Beni  river  took  a  trifle  more  than 
200  days.  The  return  trip  down  stream  took  70  days.  Freight  rates 
going  up  were  from  $800  to  $1,200  per  ton,  and  for  the  down  trip  from 
$300  to  $350  per  ton. 

It  is  commonly  believed  that  because  of  the  marvelous  waterways 


HAULING    RUBBER    BOAT    AROUND    THE    FALLS    OF   THE    MADEIRA,    OLD    REGIME. 


possessed  by  northern  Brazik  railroads  are  neither  necessary  nor 
likely  to  be  built.  Time  was  when  it  was  thought  that  the  Mississippi 
and  its  tributaries  would  be  all  that  the  Middle  West  would  ever  need 
for  transportation.  To-day  those,  waterways  and  half  a  dozen  great 
railroads  are  often  unable  to  handle  the  merchandise  offered  them.  His- 
tory will  undoubtedly  repeat  itself  in  Brazil.  Railways  from  the  great 
province  of  Matto  Grosso  will  carry  rubber  and  other  products  south  and 
east,  opening  up  an  enormous  territory.  Running  northward  from  the 


122 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


FALLS    AND    RAPIDS    ON    THE    MADEIRA    RIVER. 


CONSTRUCTION     CAMP,    MADETRA-MAMORE    RAILWAY. 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


125 


heart  of  Matto  Grosso  to  the  beginning  of  navigation  in  such  rivers  as 
the  Tapajos   and  the  Araguay,  perhaps   joining  the  upper  end  of  the 
Madeira-Mamore,  they  would  open  up  a  country  of  inexhaustible  wealth 
The  day  will  come,  too,  when  Manaos  will  be  connected  with  the  Gnianas, 
certainly  by  wireless  and  almost  as  certainly  by  railroad. 

Brazil  already  has  a  fine  railroad  system  but  it  is  almost  all  in  the 
south.  The  Madeira-Mamore  railroad  is  the  precursor  of  a  great  num- 
ber of  roads  that  will  undoubtedly  be  projected  to  open  up  the  vast 
country  of  the  Amazon  valley.  The  concession  for  the  building  of  the 


CONSTRUCTION     WORK     IN     PROGRESS. 


Madeira-Mamore  railway  was  granted  to  a  Brazilian  in  1906  and  at  once 
transferred  to  the  Madeira-Mamore  Railway  Co.,  a  corporation  organized 
in  the  United  States.  This  company  was  financed  by  the  Brazil  Railway 
Co.,  and  a  company  known  as  the  Port  of  Para,  both  American,  each 
owning  50  per  cent,  of  the  stock  of  the  Madeira-Mamore  railroad. 

The  Madeira-Mamore  road  will  be  210  miles  lony'and  will  open  up 
2,500  miles  of  navigable  waters  in  Bolivia,  the  Acre,  and  a  part  of  Matto 
Grosso.  In  June,  1910,  55  miles  from  Porto  Velho  to  Jaci-Parana  were 
open  for  traffic.  The  road  has  since  been  extended  to  the  river  Mutum- 


124 


THE  RUBBER  COUXTRY 


CAMP  'HOSPITAL    FOR    LABORERS,     M ADEIRA-M AMORE     RAILWAY. 


ROCK     CUT     ON     RAILWAY     LINE. 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


125 


Parana,  about  100  miles  further,  and  one  train  a  week  is  run  for  freight. 
As  the  charges  have  been  about  $300  per  ton  down  the  Madeira  and  $400 
per  ton  going  up,  the  railroad  can  cut  these  rates  in  half  and  still  make 
money.  It  has  been  estimated  that  the  annual  transportation  charges 
over  the  Falls  were  about  $2,500,000. 

The  headquarters  of  the  construction  camp  was  not  at  San  Antonio, 
but  at  Porto  Velho,  where  were  assembled  from  4,000  to  5,000  men.  Of 
these  300  to  400  were  Americans.  Here  were  built  substantial  quarters 
for  the  engineers,  bunk  houses  for  the  men,  an  up  to  date  thoroughly 


A   BAD   LANDSLIDE   ON   THE   RAILWAY. 


equipped  hospital,  an  ice  plant,  and  large  storehouses.  The  company 
had  also  drilled  wells  for  water,  and  was  making  every  effort  to  keep 
the  men  well.  In  spite  of  that,  there  were  sometimes  nearly  300  men  in 
the  hospital  and  seven  to  ten  doctors  and  eight  male  nurses  were  constantly 
employed.  The  experiment  of  having  female  nurses  was  tried,  but 
they  were  married  and  carried  away  so  constantly  that  it  was  voted  a 
failure. 

The  camp  was  under  military  discipline,  and  liquor  was  taboo. 
In  spite  of  this  the  native  laborers  smuggled  in  ^nore  or  less;  cachaca* 
The  most  troublesome  diseases  were  beriberi,  blackwater  fever,  and  dys- 


126 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


entery.  Quinine,  of  course,  was  the  remedy  generally  used  and  most 
potent.  It  was  bought  by  the  ton,  and  three  laboratory  men  were 
kept  busy  from  morning  until  night  making  it  up  into  pills. 

The  town  was  noted  as  publishing  the  only  English  paper  on  the 
Amazon,  called  The  Porto  Velho  Times.  The  first  issue  appeared  on 
typewritten  sheets.  Then  the  company  sent  in  a  font  of  type  and  a  print- 
ing press,  and  the  paper  appeared  with  more  or  less  regularity.  It  was  a 
remarkable  looking  sheet  typographically.  There  were  no  "\v*s"  in  the 
font,  and  two  "v's"  placed  close  together  were  the  alternative.  The 


TRACK    LAID,     MADEIRA-MAMORE     RAILWAY. 


paper  was  full  of  camp  news  and  genuine  fun,  and  everybody  sub- 
scribed. Under  the  general  announcements  of  the  paper's  scope  and 
policy  appeared  the  subscription  price,  which  was — 

Six  months,  nothing. 
Three  months,  half  price. 

The  name  of  the  paper  has  since  been  changed  to  The  Porto  Velho 
Marconigram. 

The  railroad  workers  were  only  in  this  camp  at  stated  seasons.  Some 
of  them  were  far  ahead  with  the  preliminary  party  of  engineers,  who 
were  deciding  upon  the  location,  or  they  might  be  nearer  the  camp  on 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


127 


MAKING    QUININE    CAPSULES    IN    THE     HOSPITAL. 


CONSTRUCTION    TRAIN,    MADEIRA-MA  MORE    RAILWAY. 


128 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


construction.  The  company  paid  the  men  on  the  loth  of  every  month, 
and  five  men  were  in  the  employ  of  the  pay  office  to  prepare  the 
$175,000  that  the  paymaster  carried  in  person  to  the  various  camps. 

All  of  the  men  were  obliged  to  sign  a  contract   to  pay  no  court  to  the 


CARIPUNA      INDIANS      AND      BARK      BOAT. 


Caripuna  Indian  women,  nor  sell  firearms  to  the  men.  If  this  con- 
tract was  violated  they  were  discharged  without  pay.  The  result  of 
this  wise  policy  was  that  the  Indians  were  very  friendly,  and  furnished 
the  camps  with  many  turtles  and  lots  of  fish. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

RUBBER  MANUFACTURE  BY  INDIANS — HEAD  HUNTERS— REBELLION  OF  CONTRACT 
LABORERS — INSECTS  IN  THE  RAILROAD  CAMPS — EARLY  ATTEMPTS  AT  RAILROAD 
BUILDING — THE  MAMORE,  BENI  AND  THE  MADRE  DE  DIGS — CANNIBAL  INDIANS. 

IT  would  be  strange  in  a  rubber  country  if  there  were  not  some 
rubber  manufacture.  And  there  is  much.  Nearly  all  of  the  In- 
dian tribes  make  rubber  ponchos,  kit  bags,  and  some  very  curious 
toys.  In  making  a  rubber  bag,  they  first  make  a  bag  of  fabric,  some- 
times of  prettily  flowered  calico,  which  they  stretch  over  a  frame un**1 
the  surfaces  are  smooth  and  taut.  Then  they  take  caucho  milk,  never 
using  Hevea,  and  stir  into  it  powdered  sulphur,  the  proportion  be- 
ing a  tablespoon ful  of  sulphur  to  each  liter  of  latex.  After  stirring  the 
liquid  thoroughly,  they  apply  it  to  the  cloth  with  a  feather  and  give  it  a 
sun  cure.  If  sulphur  is  not  obtainable  they  use  gunpowder.  When  the 
sulphur  compound  is  spread  over  flowered  calico  the  colors  show  through 
and  the  bags  are  extremely  pretty.  The  gunpowder  mixture,  of  course, 
is  black  and  not  transparent. 

These  bags  will  outlast  a  dozen  made  of  vulcanized  rubber  and  are 
eagerly  purchased  by  engineers  and  prospectors. 

A  great  many  other  useful  articles  are  made,  such  as  cigar  cases, 
tobacco  pouches,  and  ammunition  bags,  and  even  rubber  shoes.  Of 
course  the  latter  are  not  made  for  export.  Occasionally  a  native  makes 
a  clay  last,  puts  thirty  or  forty  coats  of  latex  over  it,  with  additional 
coats  for  the  sole  and  heel.  Then  a  couple  of  days  later  he  draws  or- 
namental designs  with  a  knife  or  a  piece  of  wire,  allows  the  shoes  to 
stand  a  week  to  dry  out  and  then  they  are  finished. 

Some  of  the  Indians  on  the  upper  Amazon  made  wonderful  feather 
ornaments.  Notably  headdresses  of  the  most  brilliant  feathers,  and 
although  the  height  of,  the  crown  was  3^2  feet  it  was  exceedingly  light 
and  was  as  easy  to  wear  as  a  pith  helmet.  If  made  at  all  at  the  present 
time  it  is  only  by  tribes  far  in  the  interior  of  the  Upriver  country.  A 
lost  art  among  the  Indians  far  up  the  Amazon  is  the  preparation  of 
human  heads  in  miniature.  These  heads,  of  which  numbers  are  still 

129 


130 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


to  be  found  in  museums,  are  about  the  size  of  an  orange,  with  the  fea- 
tures almost  perfectly  preserved,  and  the  long  black  hair  intact.  The 
process  consisted  in  carefully  extracting  the  bones  of  the  skull,  bit  by  bit, 
tanning  and  shrinkage  the  cartilage  and  finally  the  wearing  of  the  head 
at  the  waist  by  means  of  a  cord  threaded  through  the  lips,  in  the  fashion 
that  the  North  American  Indians  wore  scalps. 

The  railroad  company  shipped  in  beef  on  its  own  steamers   from 


m m 


> 


INDIAN     COATING     CALICO     BAG     WITH     RUBBER     MILK. 


Manaos,  and  furnished  such  delicacies  as  Boston  baked  beans  and  rice 
ad  libitum. 

The  day  laborers  were  a  mixed  lot  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the 
world.  An  unfortunate  experiment  on  the  part  of  a  German  contractor 
took  place  while  I  was  there.  He  brought  in  600  laborers  from  Ger- 
many, mostly  Polish  Jews,  and  agreed  to  pay  them  60  cents  per  cubic 
yard  for  digging  dirt.  He  was  to  get  $i  a  yard  for  it,  and  pocket  the 


OF    THE    AMAZON  ,  131 

difference.  The  workmen  in  a  few  days  after  they  were  located  dis- 
covered that  other  gangs  were  getting  $i.  They  promptly  struck  and 
walked  80  kilometers  back  to  camp.  The  camp  manager,  when  he  heard 
the  whole  story,  promised  to  cancel  the  contract  and  give  them  $i  per 
yard.  This  they  refused.  He  then  offered  to  put  them  at  work  on 


RUBBER   ARTICLES    MADE  BY   INDIANS   ON   UPPER   RIVERS. 


buildings  and  other  jobs.  This  they  also  refused.  He  then  offered 
them  free  transportation  back  to  Manaos,  but  again  met  stubborn  re- 
fusal. He  was  finally  forced  to  disarm  them  and  drive  them  from  camp. 
They  then  built  rafts  and  started  to  float  down  to  Manaos.  Many  of 
them  died  and  the  residue  were  picked  up  by  a  river  steamer  and  taken 
to  Manaos  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  German  consul.  As  I  was  leaving. 


132 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


the  German  government  was  getting  busy  with  the  idea  of  seeking  re- 
dress. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  curse  in  this  upper  country  is  insects.  There 
were  flies  innumerable,  together  with  moyaquils  (called  ''bachoburna" 
there),  chiggers,  ticks,  flies,  and  mosquitos  by  the  million. 


INDIAN    HEAD    DRESSES. 


The  railroad  company  established  wireless  stations  at  Manaos  and 
Porto  Velho,  which  worked  perfectly  from  the  start.  Later  they 
planned  to  have  another  station  at  Villa  Bella,  at  the  farther  end  of  the 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


133 


road.  It  is  quite  possible,  once  these  are  installed,  that  they  can  com- 
municate with  Bolivian  wireless  stations,  which  would  give  Manaos  an- 
other means  of  sending  messages  to  the  outside  world. 

The  engineers  go  with  the  company  under  contract  for  a  period  of 


HUMAN    HEADS,    SHRUNKEN,    USED   AS    INDIAN    WAR   TROPHIES. 


two  years,  with  a  three  months'  vacation,  which  they  usually  spend  in  a 
trip  to  the  United  States.  They  are  very  well  paid,  as  a  class,  and  those 
who  are  suited  to  the  life  really  enjoy  it.  I  met  two  whom  I  had  pre- 
viously known  in  Panama.  They  were  on  their  way  to  the  States  for 


134 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


their  vacation.  One  was  in  perfect  health;  the  other  had  chills  and 
fever  at  regular  intervals,  but  was  rilling  up  on  quinine,  and  had  no 
thought  but  to  return  when  his  vacation  was  over.  They  had  many 
interesting  and  unusual  stories  to  tell  of  happenings  up  in  1^he  wilderness. 
One  of  them  told  of  the  possessor  of  an  honored  English  name  who  was 
compelled  to  drop  it  and  take  another.  It  came  about  in  this  way. 
Whenever  a  companion  called  him  by  his  surname,  it  was  greeted  with 
shrieks  of  laughter  on  the  part  of  the  natives.  Not  only  that,  but  if 
he  met  a  native  on  the  trail,  the  latter  would  speak  his  name  and  then 


AN      INDIAN      SLING      SHOT. 


go  into  convulsions  of  merriment.  When  he  learned  that  his  patronymic 
was  a  native  word  which  meant  the  concrete  and  ultimate  result  of  a 
strong  cathartic  pill,  he  promptly  called  himself  "Smith." 

The  story  of  the  earlier  efforts  to  build  railroads  around  the  Falls 
of  the  Madeira  is  wonderfully  interesting  and  singularly  romantic. 
The  first  real  attempt  was  made  some  forty  years  ago,  under  a  con- 
cession to  the  Bolivian  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  the  contractors  being 
an  American  concern.  The  whole  scheme  originated  in  the  enterprise  of 
Colonel  George  Earl  Church,  a  noted  American  civil  engineer,  who 
proved  to  both  the  Bolivian  and  Brazilian  governments  the  necessity 


OF    THE    AMAZON  135 

for  such  a  road.  The  Collins  company  made  a  survey,  sent  in  much 
equipment,  and  had  laid  about  five  miles  of  track  when  the  English 
bondholders  got  frightened,  put  an  injunction  on  the  funds  of  the  com- 
pany, and  after  much  litigation  got  the  money  and  the  Collins  company 
got  nothing.  The  American  loss  was  something  like  $500,000.  The 
Brazilian  government  later  put  through  a  new  survey,  but  were  not 
ready  to  finance  the  proposition  at  that  time.  Then  came  the  Acre  dis- 


MOSQUITO     PROOF     HEADGEAR     USED     BY     ENGINEERS     IN     BRAZILIAN     FORESTS. 


pute  and  the  cession  of  that  rich  rubber  territory  to  Brazil,  with  the 
agreement  that  the  railroad  should  be  built  at  once. 

According  to  common  gossip  in  Brazil,  the  American  engineering 
company  who  are  putting  it  through  agree  to  have  it  completed  in  three 
years'  time.  The  Brazilian  government  pays  all  of  the  bills  and  the  con- 
struction company  gets  10  per  cent,  of  the  money  expended  for  its 
trouble.  The  road  is  narrow  guage  and  many  of  the  bridges  now  of 
timber  construction  will  be  replaced  later  with  solid  masonry. 

Except  in  the  towns  very  few  traces  of  the  Collins  enterprise  remain. 


136 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


The  roadbed,  rails,  and  all  had  absolutely  disappeared,  and  only  im- 
penetrable jungle  was  to  be  found  where  once  ran  the  pioneer  Madeira- 
Mamore  railroad. 

The  Madeira  river,  above  the  falls,  is  fed  by  several  great  rivers 
that  drain  an  immense  territory  which  is  rich  in  rubber.  There  is,  for 
example,  the  Guapore  that  drains  both  Bolivia  and  Brazil,  rising  far  up 
in  Matto  Grosso ;  the  Mamore,  the  Beni,  and  the  Madre  de  Dios — all 
great  rivers,  together  with  hundreds  of  lesser.  This  upper  country 
has  many  thousands  of  miles  of  navigable  streams  at  the  time  of  high 
water,  and  V>nce  the  Railroad  is  finished,  hides,  cinchona,  and  a  great 


STEAMER    AT     PORTO    VELHO,     MADEIRA-MA  MORE    RAILWAY. 


variety  of  other  products,   as  well  as   rubber,   will  find  their  way  out 
through  the  Amazon. 

Pioneers  in  the  upper  Amazon  country  whether  they  were  explorers, 
railroad  surveyors  or  rubber  gatherers,  have  in  the  past  been  very  much 
harassed  by  some  of  the  wild  Indian  tribes.  For  example:  "The  can- 
nibal Tauapery  Indians  often  attacked,  killed  and  ate  rubber  gatherers, 
saving  the  right  leg  as  a  trophy."  Then  too,  the  Acarinus  Indians,  on  the 
Rio  Pauhiny,  were  said  to  attack  rubber  collectors,  carrying  away  their 
heads  as  trophies.  From  the  upper  Tocantins  came  often  reports  of  Ita- 
cayuna  Indians,  a  very  primitive  tribe,  unacquainted  with  the  use  of  iron, 
who  made  huts  of  woven  twigs  and  branches,  "broken  with  their  teeth." 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


137 


Whether  they  killed  the  rubber  gatherers  with  the  same  weapons,  does 
not  appear. 

There  are  many  small  and  exceedingly  warlike  tribes  scattered 
through  the  Amazon  basin  that  have  at  times  wiped  out  settlements  of 
rubber  gatherers.  That  any  of  them  are  cannibals,  however,  is  yet  to  be 
proved.  Furthermore  the  owners  of  the  seringaes  exact  a  heavy  penalty 
for  massacres  and  the  reports  of  killing  are  becoming  less  and  less  fre- 


RELIC   OF   THE   FIRST   ATTEMPT   AT   RAILROAD   BUILDING   ON   THE    MADEIRA. 


quent.  To-day  there  are  really  no  unmixed  wild  tribes  of  Indians  on  the 
lower  Amazon  or  its  navigable  branches.  There  were  many  such  but 
they  have  become  extinct.  It  must  be  remembered  that  there  are  great 
tracts  of  land  in  the  Amazon  country  where  there  are  no  Indians  at  all. 
The  remaining  wild  tribes,  as  a  rule,  live  back  in  the  forests  above  the 
limits  of  navigation.  It  is  claimed  that  there  are  about  250,000  Indians 
in  the  Amazon  basin,  and  whether  wild  or  Christianized,  they  have  the 
same  civil  rights  as  the  whites. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  BOLIVIAN  MONTANA — DISCOVERY  OF  RUBBER  THERE — "OURO  VEGETAL"— 
ESTABLISHING  "SERINGAES" — CARTROADS— LIBERAL  LAWS  PASSED — "BORDER  RUF- 
FIANS"— How  BOLIVIAN  RUBBER  is  GATHERED'—  RIVER  NAVIGATION  BY  "BALSA"  AND 
"CALLAPO" — A  RICH  RUBBER  CHIEFTAIN. 

TO-DAY  one  third  of  the  world's  supply  from  South  America  of  fine 
Para  rubber  comes  from  Bolivia  and  the  Acre.     The  discovery 
of  rubber  in  the  Bolivian  Montana  dates  back  to  1869,  when  two 
Bolivians  obtained  specimens  and  sent  them  to  Europe,  the  report  being 
that  the  gum  was  of  the  best  quality.     As  a  result  of  this  a  few  started 
gathering  at  Cavinas,  100  to  150  pounds  at  a  time,  rowing  up  stream  200 
miles,  then  transporting  it  across  country  60  miles  and  sending  it  down 
over  the  Falls  of  Madeira.     Bolivian  rubber  did  not  appear  on  the  mar- 
ket, however,  until  1893,  when  the  grade  known  as  "Mollendo"  began  to 
be  shipped  from  the  Pacific  port  of  that  name. 

Dating  back  to  1827  there  had  been  the  report  of  cannibals  on  the 
Beni  river,  and  the  region  was  so  dangerous  that  it  was  considered  fatal 
to  any  one  penetrating  its  murky  forests.  Political  criminals  were 
therefore  sent  there  in  lieu  of  sentence  of  death.  In  1880  an  American 
traveled  overland  from  the  Pacific  with  a  few  rubber  gatherers  in  his 
train.  He  failed  to  locate  any  cannibals,  and  in  four  months  had  600 
gatherers  at  work.  An  adventurous  French  baron,  accompanied  by  lead- 
ing American  importers,  further  explored  the  river  in  1893.  As  a  result 
of  this,  a  company  was  formed  for  exploiting  the  resources  of  the  Beni, 
but  nothing  was  accomplished.  In  the  meantime  it  became  widely  known 
that  the  Beni  country  was  rich  in  rubber,  cinchona,  and  precious  metals. 
It  was  also  proved  that  the  Indian  residents  were  not  only  harmless 
but  very  friendly. 

Interest  in  rubber  continued  to  increase,  steam  launches  were  put 
on  the  Beni,  Madre  de  Dios  and  Mamore,  and  transportation  either  toward 
the  Falls  of  Madeira  or  up  the  Purus  toward  the  mountains  was  made 
much  easier.  For  example,  in  1891,  35,000  quintals  of  rubber,  carried 
by  donkeys,  mules  and  llamas,  went  over  the  Andes.  It  was  then  planned 

'33 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


139 


NAVIGATION    ON    THE    UPPER    RIVERS. 


to  avoid  the  Falls  of  Madeira  by  a  canal  connecting  the  Beni  and  the 
Pur  us. 

At  this  time  the  population,  exclusive  of  wild  Indians,  was  re- 
corded as  22,000.  Bolivian  rubber  was  considered  so  valuable  that  it  was 
called  ouro  vegetal  (plant  of  gold). 


SORATA,         BOLIVIA. 


140 


THE  RUBBER*  COUNTRY 


BRIDGE     BUILT     OF     RAILROAD     RAILS. 


The  ubiquitous  Hebrew  peddler  early  penetrated  to  this  part  of  the 
world  and  got  full  value  for  his  wares.  One  of  them,  supposing  that 
the  natives  would  be  great  gamblers,  took  in  many  packs  of  playing  cards, 
but  found  no  sale  for  them  until  he  segregated  the  face  cards  and  sold 
them  at  a  high  price  as  likenesses  of  the  saints. 

Numbers  of  great  scringacs  were  early  formed — one  for  example, 


A    LEVEL    STRETCH    OX    THE    MADEIRA. 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


141 


A    "BALSA"   TRANSPORTING    RUBBER. 


on  the  Orton  river,  with  1,000  rubber  gatherers  and  equipped  with  every- 
thing to  do  the  business  comfortably  and  economically. 

The  Bolivian  rubber  was  acknowledged  to  be  of  the  very  highest 


\\KIGHING        CAUCHO.       BOLIVIA. 


142 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


grade  and  ran  86  per  cent.  fine.  The  government  export  tax  upon  it 
is  14  per  cent. 

The  Bolivian  government  acted  very  wisely  in  dealing  with 
concessionaires,  foreign  and  native,  and  in  guarding  their  rights  and 
rights  of  laborers.  It  passed  laws  regulating  the  concessions,  allowing 
anyone  to  explore  for  rubber  trees. 

Concessions  were  granted  by  estradas ;  no  individual  being  allowed 
to  own  more  than  500,  and  no  corporation  more  than  1,000,  a  tax  of 
one  boliviano  (96^/2  cents  gold)  for  each  estrada  being  the  annual  rental 


STRAW     BOATS     ON     LAKE     TITICACA. 


for  fifteen  years.  A  heavy  penalty  was  imposed  upon  persons  holding 
rubber  trees  not  legally  obtained.  For  the  protection  of  laborers  it  was 
decreed  that  they  need  not  accept  food  or  clothing  in  lieu  of  wages  ;  that 
there  should  be  no  corporal  punishment ;  no  depriviation  of  personal 
liberty,  and,  if  diseased  or  ill,  they  were  entitled  to  free  medical  at- 
tendance. 

Under  these  laws  some  great  colonization  schemes  were  projected 
and  hundreds  of  miles  of  good  cart  roads  built.  One  very  ambitious  at- 
tempt to  get  an  outlet  into  the  Amazon  was  the  building  of  a  cart  road 


OF    THE    AMAZON  143 

around  the  Falls  of  the  Madeira,  112  miles  of  which  was  completed. 
The  project  was  abandoned,  however,  as  it  was  impossible  to  get  laborers 
to  complete  it. 

It  is  interesting  to  remember  that  the  history  of  Bolivia  con- 
tains no  instance  of  diplomatic  claim  against  that  country  for  any  vi- 
olence, damage,  or  injury  to  foreigners.  Foreign  capital  and  particularly 
alert  promoters  were  quick  to  appreciate  not  only  the  richness  for  op- 
portunity but  also  the  safeguards  she  extended  to  them.  In  July,  1900, 


TAPPING  PARA  RUBBER  TREE,  BOLIVIA. 


concessions  were  taken  out  to  the  number  of  17,345  estradas.  Numbers 
of  the  concessionaires  were  willing  to  pay  one  boliviano,  per  estrada  for 
one  year,  and  then  float  the  concession,  as  the  contract  did  not  require 
development.  The  Bolivian  government,  beginning  to  appreciate  that, 
in  spite  of  the  tremendous  numbers  of  concessions  granted,  the  amount  of 
rubber  was  not  increasing  as  it  should,  made  a  new  law,  restricting  the 
area  granted  to  individuals  and  companies,  and  putting  a  value  on  the 
land  of  10  reis  per  square  meter.  Two  years  later  it  was  found  that 


144 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


110,000  estradas  had  been  abandoned;  presumably  they  were  taken  up 
by  promoters  who  had  no  intention  of  developing  them. 

The  great  seringaes  were  not  established  without  much  trouble.  For 
example,  one  company  floated  in  Europe  started  some  500  people  for 
the  Amazon,  reaching  Para  in  flood  time.  They  went  on  and,  trying 
to  reach  their  river  by  a  short  cut,  had  many  accidents  and  many  of  the 
adventurers  died.  The  remainder  got  there  finally,  but  most  of  their 


SMOKING     PARA     RUBBER,     BOLIVIA. 


troubles  could  have  been  avoided  by  a  little  knowledge  of  conditions  in 
the  Amazon  basin. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  tremendous  cost  of  transportation  the  con- 
cessionaires and  trading  companies  would  have  made  millions.  For  in 
1882  they  were  paying  gatherers  $9.65  per  100  pounds  of  rubber.  In 
1900,  however,  the  price  had  been  increased  to  five  times  that  amount. 

One  of  the  greatest  companies  administered  by  Americans  had  much 
trouble  in  getting  the  natives  to  work.  They,  therefore,  imported  a  few 
Italians  and  secretly  paid  them  high  wages  to  act  as  pace  makers.  The 


OF    THE    AMAZON  145 

result  was  that  the  natives  got  in  a  perfect  frenzy  of  accomplishment 
which  they  have  lived  up  to  ever  since. 

Recurring  to  the  transportation  problem,  it  will  be  remembered 
that,  for  the  cession  of  the  Acre  territory  to  Brazil,  Bolivia  received 
$10,000,000,  which  she  pledged  herself  to  spend  upon  railroads.  To 
carry  this  out  the  Bolivian  Railways  Co.  was  incorporated,  to  expend 
$35,000,000  in  railroads  that  should  improve  the  outlet  of  Bolivia  to  the 
Pacific,  and  also  by  stretches  of  roads  around  cataracts  to  open  up 
transportation  through  the  Montana. 

Most  of  the  great  rubber  estates  both  on  the  upper  and  lower  Amazon 


CUTTING     RUBBER     FROM     PADDLES,     BOLIVIA. 


are  to-day  owned  by  wealthy  individuals  or  companies.  Their  first 
titles  came  to  them  through  discovery  and  occupation.  Later  surveys 
were  made  and  legal  titles  were  granted  particularly  where  the  first  oc- 
cupant got  in  financial  difficulties  and  a  creditor  took  the  property  over. 
There  are  still  properties  for  which  the  owner  has  no  real  title  and  which 
he  holds  because  of  his  expertness  in  handling  a  rifle. 

These  are  the  men  who  in  the  past  were  preyed  upon  by  bands 
of  "border  ruffians"  called  capangas,  who  descended  on  them  and  gath- 
ered in  their  rubber  in  swift  night  attacks.  These  "border  ruffians"  were 


146 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


said  to  be  employed  by  negociantes  or  traders  and  the  different  bands 
were  in  a  state  of  constant  warfare  with  each  other.  These  battles 
were  not  very  sanguinary.  An  eye  witness  relates  a  pitched  battle  be- 
tween two  armed  bands  where  2,000  shots  were  fired,  the  total  execution 
being  one  bullet  hole  through  the  shirt  of  the  leader  of  the  attacking 
party.  Appalled  by  such  a  happening,  he  promptly  put  a  white  cloth  on 
a  pole,  raised  from  behind  a  stump  where  he  was  crouching,  while  he 
led  the  charge  and  promptly  surrendered. 

The  tree  that  produces  Bolivian  rubber  is  undoubtedly  a  Hevea  and 
is  said  by  some  to  be  the  Hevea  lutea.     It  grows  on  the  uplands  to  an 


FIRE     BRANDING     RUBBER,     BOLIVIA. 


altitude  of  3,000  feet,  and  on  sloping,  well  drained  ground,  and  not  in 
swamps  or  where  it  would  be  subject  to  inundations.  The  trees  are 
tapped  for  about  three  months  each  year,  and  then  are  allowed  to  rest. 
The  rubber  when  carried  up  the  rivers,  by  muleback  over  the  mountains, 
by  boat  across  Lake  Titicaca,  and  by  railroad  to  Mollendo,  is  said  to  cost, 
exclusive  of  the  export  duties  charged  in  Bolivia,  about  40  cents  a 
pound. 

Bolivian  rubber  is  gathered  somewhat  differently  from  that  down 
river.  There  is  used  a  mango — literally  a  handle  to  which  is  attached 
a  flat  disk  6  to  8  inches  in  diameter.  This  is  used  as  the  ordinary  paddle 


OF    THE    AMAZON  147 

is.  Where  much  smoking  is  to  be  done  a  disk  to  which  two  handles  are 
attached  to  opposite  sides  is  substituted.  These  handles  are  supported 
by  cross  pieces  which  allow  the  disk  to  revolve  rapidly  over  the  buyon, 


SUAREZ,  BOLIVIA'S  RUBBER  BARON. 

(Sketched  at  his  home  in  Bolivia  for  the  Author.) 


or    smoking    pot.     Indeed,    to    facilitate    matters    there    are    sometimes 
three  or  four  of  these  pots  in  a  row. 

Two  methods  of  branding  rubber  are  in  use.  One  which  is  known 
as  "fire''  branding  consists  in  heating  a  die  and  pressing  it  into  the  out- 
side surface  of  the  rubber.  The  other  way  is  to  have  the  name  of  the 


148 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


seringa!  cut  on  the  surface  of  the  paddle ;  then   when  the  pelle   is  cut 
open  the  rubber  is  found  to  have  taken  an  exact  replica  of  the  brand. 

In  the  upper  rivers,  where  the  water  is  very  shallow,  the  rubber 
takes  its  first  journey  on  balsas,  or  small  rafts.  If  they  are  to  pass  over 
rough  water,  the  logs  of  which  they  are  made  are  hollowed  out.  These 
recesses  are  filled  with  rubber  and  the  whole  is  floored  over,  so  even  if  the 
crew  is  upset  or  lost  the  rubber  survives.  Two  or  more  balsas  joined 
together  form  a  callapo,  which  is  used  when  the  river  broadens  to  admit 
larger  craft.  Still  further  down  the  rivers  the  bateldo — commonly  pro- 
nounced "batalone" — is  used  as  freight  carrier. 


BOLIVIAN      TAPPING      AXE. 

(The   first   view   shows   the   full    size   of   the   "machadine."      The    second    shows    an    outline,    with 
the    eye    for    a    handle    2    feet    long.) 

The  dry  season  in  the  Bolivian  rubber  country  is  from  June  to 
November  and  the  rainy  season  from  December  to  May.  The  climate 
is  hot  and  exceedingly  humid.  There  is  a  decided  drop  in  the  tempera- 
ture at  night,  much  more  pronounced  than  in  the  lower  Amazon,  and 
the  consequent  danger  from  chills.  The  disease  most  prevalent  is 
tertian  fever,  called  terciana,  and  a  large  percentage  of  mortality  is 
due  to  it.  It  is  claimed  that  there  is  not  much  danger  from  this  if  one 
avoids  freshly  plucked  fruit  and  alcoholic  beverages. 

One  of  the  most  romantic  figures  in  the  Amazon  basin,  who  is 
established  above  the  Falls  of  Madeira,  is  Nicolas  Suarez.  Of  Bolivian 
birth  and  speaking  only  Spanish,  he  has  for  years  practically  controlled 


O.F    THE    AMAZON  149 

the  carrying  trade  up  and  down  the  Madeira,  as  well  as  the  gathering 
and  collecting  of  the  rubber  along  many  of  the  great  waterways  above 
the  falls. 

If  Suarez's  life  history  could  be  written  it  would  prove  a  very 
stirring  tale.  He  began  as  a  trader  for  rubber,  dealing  with  savages 
whom  none  other  had  dared  to  even  communicate  with.  Soon  he  and 
his  brothers  began  to  acquire  great  concessions.  They  pushed  further 
and  further  into  the  interior,  trading  with  the  Indians,  practically 
ruling  them,  and  avenging  any  insult  or  lack  of  faith  most  terribly. 
One  of  his  brothers  was  murdered  by  savages,  and  it  is  said  that 
Nicolas  Suarez  practically  exterminated  the  tribe  to  which  his  murder- 
ers belonged. 

He  employs  probably  about  4,000  men,  and  is  said  to  be  worth 
from  $35,000,000  to  $40,000,000.  A  born  organizer,  he  is  still  a  simple, 
saving  man  of  the  people.  But  his  nephews,  liberally  educated,  living 
in  Europe,  are  genuine  men  of  the  world. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  RUBBER  FOREST  COUNTRY  OF  PERU — A  RUBBER  REVOLUTION — FOREIGN 
CAPITAL  IN  PERU — IQUITOS  AND  ITS  GROWTH — THE  "DINING  HALL  OF  THE  WORLD" — 
PERUVIAN  INDIANS — VARIOUS  PERUVIAN  RUBBERS — THE  COMPLETE  STORY  OF 
CAUCHO — PARA  RUBBER  OF  PERU. 

FULLY  two-thirds  of  the  territory  of  Peru,  an  immense  region  of 
700,000  square  miles,  is  embraced  in  the  forest  lands  east  of 
the  Andes,  known  as  the  Forest  Country,  or  Monta  a,  and  is 
watered  by  a  great  network  of  rivers.  These  forests  are  not  only  rich  in 
cinchona,  vanilla,  and  cacao,  but  there  is  a  great  deal  of  india-rubber. 
As  far  back  as  1853,  Markham  visited  rubber  camps  there,  and  among 
other  things  described  the  singular  vessels  used  for  conveying  latex. 
They  were  joints  of  bamboo,  three  feet  long  and  four  inches  in  diameter, 
and  called  ypas.  These  are  still  used. 

Pobrc  Peru  (poor  Peru)  was  most  expressive.  Robbed  of  her 
rich  nitrate  beds  by  Chile,  her  rich  silver  mines  owned  by  British  capi- 
talists, the  cinchona  industry  ruined  by  plantations  in  the  Far  East, 
the  railroads  in  the  hands  of  a  British  corporation,  and  the  customs 
pledged  to  them,  with  millions  of  acres  of  the  best  forest  lands  given 
away  to  the  same  outside  interests,  it  surely  was  "poor  Peru!" 

The  mining  engineers  were  the  first  to  appreciate  the  forest  wealth, 
and  great  tracts  of  land  were  acquired  not  only  to  exploit  the  minerals, 
but  rubber  and  other  products.  This  practically  put  foreign  capitalists 
in  charge  of  the  best  of  the  Montana  regions.  Then  Brazilian  rubber 
gatherers  in  the  territory,  together  with  native  gatherers,  started  an  in- 
surrection, the  idea  being  that  the  territory  became  a  Brazilian  de- 
pendency. The  government  at  Lima  dispatched  an  armed  force  over 
the  three  ranges  of  mountains  and  declared  Iquitos  a  closed  port.  The 
soldiers,  however,  preferred  rubber  gathering  to  fighting,  and  were 
supposed  to  have  joined  the  revolutionists.  The  result  was  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  commission  of  arbitration  and  the  discovery  that  Peru  did 
not  know  what  her  eastern  boundaries  were.  The  commission  decided 
on  the  river  Javary  as  a  boundary  line,  incidentally  cutting  off  from 

150 


OF    THE    AMAZON  151 

Peru  a  very  large  and  rich  rubber  territory,  not  purposely,  but  because 
of  a  mistaken  idea  as  to  the  direction  in  which  the  Javary  ran. 

In  the  meantime  the  great  foreign  companies  were  opening  roads 
and  doing  much  to  make  the  country  accessible.  One  company  alone 
in  nine  years  opened  270  miles  of  fine  road  over  the  Andes  to  the  nav- 
igable waterways  of  the  Montana,  and  in  1904,  1,300  miles  of  such  roads 
had  been  constructed.  The  result  was  that  many  regions  of  the  Inambari 
and  Madre  de  Dios  were  within  three  days  of  Mollendo.  In  1902,  the 
fishing  village  of  Iquitos  had  grown  to  a  city  with  a  population  of  7,000, 
made  up  of  Peruvians,  half  castes,  and  Hebrews.  A  fairly  good  road 
way  connected  it  with  Lima,  the  journey  taking  about  twelve  days. 


SMOKING     PARA     RUBBER,     PERU. 

Fifty  steamers  plied  between  the  city  and  the  interior,  carrying  supplies 
to  the  various  rubber  camps  and  bringing  down  rubber. 

The  export  of  rubber  by  way  of  the  Amazon  at  that  time  had  been 
for  two  years  a  monopoly,  controlled  by  an  English  steamboat  company 
who  employed  five  vessels  for  this  purpose,  vessels  especially  built 
so  that  they  could  navigate  the  river  even  at  the  time  of  low  water.  One 
result  of  this  steamship  monopoly  was  that  freight  rates  were  very  high, 
sometimes  exceeding  the  price  of  the  cargo.  About  1906,  however,  direct 
shipments  were  inaugurated  from  Iquitos  to  New  York  and  Liverpool, 
and  the  city  flourished  as  a  result.  The  following  year  7,000  passengers 
arrived  at  Iquitos,  all  of  them  connected  in  some  way  with  rubber  in- 
terests ;  540  steamers  weighed  anchor  from  that  port  during  that  year 
and  2i  local  dealers  (called  negociantes},  all  of  them  foreigners,  export- 


152 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


ed  7,000,000  pounds  of  rubber,  two-thirds  of  which  was  "Para."  In 
1909,  the  exports  of  rubber  from  Iquitos  had  increased  33  per  cent,  over 
the  last  figures  given. 

The  province  of  Loreto,  of  which  Iquitos  is  the  capital,  is  so  rich 
in  forest  products  that  Humboldt  spoke  of  it  as  the  "dining  hall  of  the 


SHIPPING     RUBBER    AT     MOLLENDO,     PERU. 

world."  Iquitos,  a  few  years  ago  only  a  collection  of  palm  thatched 
huts,  is  a  rich  thriving  city  to-day.  With  mean  temperature  of  75°  to 
80°  F.,  it  is  comfortable,  and  with  fourteen  to  twenty  feet  of  water  in 
the  broad  river  upon  which  it  is  situated,  it  can  accommodate  ocean 
going  steamers.  The  Amazon,  called  Maranon  there,  is  navigable  some 
300  or  400  miles  beyond  the  city.  In  other  words,  there  is  a  good  nav- 


154  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

igable  waterway  from  Manaos  up  the  Amazon  for  about  1.600  miles. 
More  and  more  steamers  go  to  Iquitos  and,  eventually,  it  will  be  a  city 
of  great  commercial  importance.  The  Peruvian  Montana  is  as  rich  as 
any  part  of  the  tropical  world,  and  when  its  quarter  of  a  million  Indians, 
many  of  whom  are  excellent  workers  already,  awake  to  the  dignity  of 
labor,  a  greater  wealth  than  that  possessed  by  the  Incas  will  be  pro- 
duced by  them. 

Speaking  of  Indians,  one  of  the  most  important  tribes,  the  Campas, 
located  on  the  Ucayali,  number  some  40,000,  and  are  said  to  be  descended 
from  the  Aztecs.  Less  important  are  the  Peros,  Conibos  and  Ship- 
ibos.  These  are  expert  canoeists  and  hunters,  very  courageous  and 
keep  contracts  most  faithfully.  These  Indians  wage  relentless  war- 
fare against  the  wholly  savage  tribes,  capturing  them  whenever  they 


STEAMER     OX      THE      MARANON      ABOVE      IQUITOS,      PERU. 

can,  and  bringing  them  to  the  rubber  camps  where  they  insist  on  their 
being  taught  to  gather  rubber.  The  general  Indian  word  for  rubber 
throughout  Eastern  Peru  is  "sandouga." 

A  great  many  interesting  stories  come  from  the  interior,  as  is 
natural.  For  example,  it  is  said  that  the  Indians  of  the  upper  Amazon 
had  a  telephone  system  of  their  own,  using  rubber  in  its  construction, 
and  there  the  story  ends. 

There  are  three  distinct  kinds  of  rubber  gathered  in  the  Amazon 
provinces  of  Peru:  (i)  Caucho,  which  is  the  product  of  the  Castilioa 
Ulei;  (2)  seringa,  borracha  or  jebe  fino,  which  comes  from  a  Hevea; 
and  (3)  the  orco-jeringa  or  "weak  fine"  Hevea.  There  are  a  number  of 
theories  regarding  the  reason  for  the  shortness  of  fiber  in  the  weak 
fine.  The  common  belief  is  that,  as  it  is  found  on  high  lands  far  above 


H  W 
M  W 
O  « 


156 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


the  sea  level,  it  is  due  to  location,  where  the  Hevea  is  not  at  its  best. 
It  is  possible,  however,  that  it  may  be  caused  by  the  admixture  of 
another  latex  with  that  of  the  Hevea. 

The  tree  producing  caucho  was  for  a  long  time  unidentified,  and 
little  was  known  about  it,  except  that  the  rubber  was  gathered  by  a 
system  that  involved  the  destruction  of  the  tree.  This  method  still 
obtains  and  is  as  follows : 

Near  the  base  of  the  tree  a  broad  V-shaped  cut  is  made  and  the 
latex  is  caught  in  an  earthen  vessel,  or  sometimes  in  a  waterproof  bag. 
After  all  the  latex  has  been  drained  out  of  such  incisions,  the  tree  is 
cut  down.  Then  circular  incisions  are  made  about  the  trunk,  about  two 
feet  apart,  and  the  latex  is  caught  in  basins  or  calabashes.  The  milk  is 


RUBBER  GATHERERS'^  HUTS,   PERU. 


next  passed  through  a  sieve  to  remove  bark  and  leaves,  and  then  is 
ready  for  coagulation. .  Very  often  the  rubber  gatherers  hew  a  trough 
in  the  soft  wood  of  the  fallen  rubber  tree  in  which  to  coagulate  it, 
while  others  dig  a  hole  in  the  ground  and  pour  the  milk  into  it.  If  the 
natives  have  soap  or  the  juice  of  the  Peruvian  vine  called  leche  camole, 
the  latex  coagulates  very  rapidly,  and  the  result  is  a.  square  block  known 
as  caucho,  or  Peruvian  slab.  This  slab,  cut  in  slices,  forms  what  is 
known  as  caucho  strip.  The  grade  of  rubber  known  as  caucho  ball  is 
made  up  of  the  strings  of  rubber  that  coagulate  in  the  incisions  on  the 
tree  and  are  stripped  off  a  couple  of  weeks  after  it  has  been  cut  down. 
For  the  sake  of  convenience  in  handling  they  are  made  into  balls. 
For  a  long  time  caucho  came  only  from  Peru,  but  it  is  now  found 


OF    THE    AMAZON  157 

to  be  distributed  widely  throughout  the  Amazon  valley.  The  caucho 
gatherers  in  large  parties  disappear  into  the  trackless  forests  and  travel 
sometimes  for  hundreds  of  miles  over  territory  never  before  explored, 
destroying  trees  wherever  they  find  them.  It  is  claimed  that  the  gatherers 
get  from  15  to  25  pounds  of  dry  caucho  from  one  tree.  It  has  often 
been  suggested  that  the  latex  could  be  taken  out  much  as  the  Hevea 
latex  is.  Native  gatherers,  however,  claim  that  such  cutting  of  the  bark 
results  in  destruction  of  the  tree  by  either  disease  or  insects.  It  is  also 
claimed  that,  when  the  tree  is  cut  down,  shoots  spring  up  from  the 


TAPPING  PARA  RUBBER  TREE,  PERU. 

stump  that  in  a  short  time  become  thrifty  trees.  It  is  said  that  every 
eight  years  a  cauchal,  which  is  where  the  caucho  trees  flourish,  can 
be  harvested. 

When  one  considers  the  slow  growth  of  trees  in  the  dense  forest, 
however,  the  Bolivian  contention  that  it  takes  twenty  years  to  renew  a 
cauchal  seem  more  reasonable  than  the  Peruvian. 

The  word  caucho,  really  the  Spanish  for  caoutchouc,  has  been  the 
cause  of  a  great  deal  of  misunderstanding.  Many  writers  speak  of 
"caoutchouc"  and  of  its  destruction  in  Peru.  Readers  suppose  they 


158  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

mean  that  Hevea  trees  are  cut  down  as  well  as  the  Castilloa,  which  is 
not  the  fact.  Nearly  all  writers  on  Peru  and  Bolivia  make  this  mis- 
take, and  even  the  official  publications  are  not  always  clear.  The  word 
caoutchouc  means  rubber  of  any  and  every  kind.  Indeed  it  is  a  synonym 
for  india  rubber.  Caucho,  on  the  other  hand,  is  a  specific  trade  name 
of  worldwide  acceptance  for  the  product  of  the  Castilloa  Ulei. 

The  gathering  of  caucho  is  clone  by  bands  of  80  to  100  Indians, 
organized  and  led  by  two  or  three  white  men.  While  the  band  are 
able  to  shoot  some  game  and  thus  live  on  the  country,  they  also  carry 
supplies  as  they  are  liable  to  be  lost  in  the  forests  for  months.  Their 
food  supplies  consist  of  dried  iguana,  monkey  and  parrot  flesh,  fried 
fish,  farinha,  cachaca,  tobacco,  and  so  on. 

In  searching  for  caucho  trees,  they  look  on  the  ground  and  locate 


SETTLEMENT    SHOWING    EDGE    OF    THE    GREAT     MONTANA,    PERU. 

the  great  laterals  that  extend  many  feet  from  the  tree  trunk.  They 
speak  of  two  kinds  of  caucho,  the  white  and  the  black.  The  difference, 
however,  is  only  in  the  color  of  the  bark.  The  latex  of  the  caucho 
coagulates  by  itself  if  left  in  the  clay  lined  holes  into  which  it  is  poured. 
The  invariable  custom,  however,  is  to  mix  soap  with  it  and  leave  it  over 
night.  The  coagulated  mass  in  the  morning  is  said  to  throw  off  the 
most  disgusting  odor  which  kills  even  the  hardy  mosquito  of  the  Montana. 
Caucho  gatherers  suffer  from  rheumatism,  enemia  and  dysentery,  but 
the  death  rate  among  them  is  small.  The  Indians  like  the  work  and  it  is 
very  easy  to  secure  laborers.  The  gatherers  carry  very  few  tools.  An 
American  axe  does  most  of  the  cutting.  Instead  of  tin  cups  they  take 
certain  leaves,  fold  them  ingeniously  and  sew  them,  replenishing  them 
at  each  fresh  cauchal. 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


159 


The   gathering   of   Hevca   or   Para   rubber,   which   is   also  a   large 
factor  in  Peruvian  exports,  is  guarded  by  laws  that  are  quite  similar 


VEGETATION    ON    THE   RIO    UCAYALI,    PERU. 


to  those  in  force  in  Bolivia.     These  laws  are  of  two  sorts.     One  form 
of  contract  is  for  the  leasing  of  the  lands  containing  rubber  trees ;  the 


i6o 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


other  for  the  renting  of  cstradas  of  150  trees  each.  For  the  first  the 
concessionaire  pays  a  royalty  of  a  trifle  less  than  a  cent  a  pound  for 
the  rubber  extracted  (2  soles  per  quintal)  which  is  collected  with  the 
export  duty.  Under  the  second  form,  the  government  charges  about 
10  cents  a  year  for  each  hectare  (about  2^' acres)  of  land  upon  which 
the  estate  is  situated. 

The  Peruvian  government  allows  these  contracts  to  become  effec- 
tive only  when  the  land  is  viewed  by  an  expert  surveyor  and  approved.  It 
also  demands  a  guarantee  from  the  concessionaire  in  the  way  of  the 
purchase  of  interest  bearing  bonds,  which  are  held  for  the  purchaser's 
account,  the  interest  being  paid  to  him.  The  government  has  been 


PERUVIAN     MACHINE    FOR    SMOKING       HEVEA       LATEX. 

exceedingly  generous  with  those  taking  up  lands  and  has  voted  many 
valuable  concessions  to  the  companies  that  have  constructed  roads. 

Americans,  that  is  North  Americans,  believe  firmly  that  they  are 
the  only  real  inventors  on  their  own  particular  hemisphere.  To  them 
is  submitted  a  picture  of  Morinha's  rubber  smoking  apparatus*  invented 
by  a  native  Peruvian.  It  is  very  simple  and  "fool  proof"  enough  to 
be  used  by  the  most  stupid  Indian  gatherer.  The  ordinary  smoking  cone 
is  employed,  above  which  in  a  rectangular  closed  chamber  is  a  revolving 
drum  turned  by  hand  so  that  the  latex  may  be  evenly  treated  by  the  hot 
smoke. 

The  government  export  tax  on  rubber  is   14  per  cent. 


*     See   Appendix. 


\     CHAPTER  XX. 

"O  ACRE" — THE  RICHEST  RUBBER  TERRITORY  IN  THE  WORLD — ROMANTIC  HIS- 
TORY OF  A  TROPICAL  "NO-MAN'S-LAND" — THE  ACRE  WAR — IT  BECOMES  BRAZILIAN 
FEDERAL  TERRITORY — OWNERSHIP  OF  UPRIVER  ESTATES — ADMINISTRATION  OF  LAWS 
IN  THE  ACRE — MORTALITY  IN  RUBBER  DISTRICTS — THE  SEASONS. 

PERHAPS  the  most  interesting  of  all  rubber  producing  territories 
in  South  America  is  O  Acre,  or  The  Acre — not  a  state  but  a 
Brazilian  Federal  territory.  It  lies  in  the  upper  Amazon  valley, 
close  to  Peru  and  Bolivia,  and  is  watered  by  a  labyrinth  of  rivers  great  and 
small.  Of  these  rivers  the  Amazon,  the  Javary,  the  Ucayali  and  the  Madre 
de  Dios,  with  others,  either  form  boundaries  for  the  territory  or  make 
the  forests  of  easy  access.  It  is  probable  that  no  other  part  of  the  world 
is  richer  in  rubber  than  is  the  Acre.  Most  of  the  rivers  are  navigable, 
some  of  them  for  hundreds  of  miles,  and  the  territory  is  easier  to  reach 
from  Para  and  Manaos  than  any  other  large  Brazilian  rubber  producing 
territory.  The  country  is  healthful  and  the  flood  seasons  brief.  The 
climate  is  not  as  humid  as  in  the  lower  Amazon  valley,  and  the  heat  is 
not  so  unbearable  as  in  the  latter  regions. 

Prior  to  1899  the  Acre  was  practically  unknown,  was  called  "No- 
Man's-Land,"  and  actually  belonged  to  neither  Bolivia  or  Brazil.  This 
triangular  block  of  heavily  forested  territory,  more  than  66,000  square 
miles  in  area,  was  not  coveted  by  any  one  until  rubber  began  to  come 
out  of  it  in  ever  increasing  quantities.  This  rubber  exploitation  was 
accomplished  almost  wholly  by  Brazilians  with  Cearenses  for  laborers. 

The  territory  had  two  natural  outlets — one  through  Bolivian  terri- 
tory over  the  Falls  of  the  Madeira  and  into  the  Amazon,  the  other 
down  the  Purus  through  Brazilian  territory  and  into  the  Amazon.  The 
last  named  was  the  best  of  the  two  because  of  the  open  waterway  to 
Manaos. 

Although  there  were  only  two  seringaes  belonging  to  Bolivia  in 
the  Acre,  a  Bolivian  custom  house  was  established  in  1899  on  the  Acre 
river  and  duty  collected  on  most  of  the  rubber  that  came  out  of  that 
territory.  Four  months  in  that  year  Bolivia  collected  duty  on  2,605,992 

161 


1 62 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


pounds  fine  and  370,636  pounds  coarse.  Then  the  Brazilians  in  the  Acre 
rebelled,  started  a  revolution  under  Galvez,  and  formed  what  was  known 
as  the  Independent  Acre  Republic.  The  leaders  offered  citizenship  to 
all  residents  in  the  district,  Bolivians  and  Brazilians,  with  the  exception 
of  Nicolas  Suarez,  who  was  declared  ''dangerous/'  The  population 
of  the  territory  was  then  about  18,000,  and  as  rubber  collectors  were 
able  to  get  all  the  way  from  13  to  55  pounds  of  rubber  a  day,  they 
fully  appreciated  the  value  of  the  territory.  For  some  little  time  it 


INUNDATED   FOREST   IN   THE   PURUS    RIVER    VALLEY. 


was  practically  a  free  state,  although  the  leaning  at  Rio  Janerio  was  for 
Bolivian  supremacy. 

In  1902  Brazil  formally  granted  the  territory  to  Bolivia  and  helped 
that  country  to  recover  the  Acre  from  the  hands  of  the  revolutionists. 
Shortly  after  this  Bolivia  granted  the  whole  territory  to  an  American 
syndicate.  This  caused  a  great  deal  of  feeling  in  Brazil,  and  the  treaty 
ceding  the  territory  to  Bolivia  was  withdrawn.  Brazilians  seemed  to 
feel  that  in  the  granting  of  such  a  concession  the  United  States  would 


OF    THE    AMAZON  163 

gain  control  of  the  upper  Amazon,  and  their  daily  papers  were  filled 
with  articles  predicting  calamities  of  various  sorts. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Acre,  backed  by  the  state  of  Amazonas, 
were  particularly  bitter  in  their  denunciation  of  Bolivia's  act.  They 
considered  it  a  great  wrong  for  a  private  corporation  organized  under 
foreign  laws  to  receive  any  such  grant.  They  claimed  that  the  Acre 
belonged  to  Brazil ;  because  of  its  configuration ;  since  all  of  its  rivers 
flow  into  the  Amazon,  being  the  only  practical  outlet  from  the  country ; 
because  there  was  no  Bolivian  population  there ;  and  finally  that  the 
Bolivians  had  shown  utter  inability  to  develop  the  territory  and  leased 
it  to  foreigners. 

This  inaugurated  the  "Acre  war."  .  Bolivia  raised  money  and  sent 
i, cxx)  men  over  the  mountains.  It  took  this  expedition  four  months  to 
reach  the  seat  of  trouble.  The  warfare  was  of  the  guerilla  type. 
For  example,  the  revolutionists  attacked  Nicolas  Suarez  and  sacked  and 
destroyed  two  of  his  rubber  warehouses  on  the  Acre  river.  The  old 
man  himself  escaped  to  the  Orton  river,  raised  a  force  of  rubber  gath- 
erers, came  back  and  thoroughly  trounced  the  revolutionists.  A  few 
days  later,  however,  the  colonel  in  charge  of  the  Bolivian  forces  sur- 
rendered unconditionally  to  the  revolutionists. 

In  the  meantime  Brazil  was  in  a  position  to  put  on  the  screws, 
and  she  did  it.  She  refused  to  allow  supplies  for  the  syndicate  to  go 
up  her  rivers  and  not  only  that  but  no  member  of  the  syndicate,  em- 
ployee, or  laborer  was  allowed  to  use  her  waterways.  A  commission 
from  the  American  syndicate  had  in  the  meantime  made  application 
to  England,  Germany,  and  Belgium  and  proceeded  up  the  Amazon  as 
far  as  Manaos.  There  is  no  record  of  their  getting  any  nearer  to  their 
lands  than  that  point. 

About  this  time,  however,  the  dispute  was  settled,  Brazil  paying  v 
a  cash  indemnity  to  Bolivia,  granting  her  perpetual  free  transit  through 
her  territory,  and  outlet  through  the  Amazon.  Brazil  also  agreed  to  build 
a  harbor  on  the  Madeira  river,  a  railroad  around  the  Madeira  Falls,  and 
purchased  the  concession  owned  by  the  American  syndicate.  In  return 
the  territory  became  wholly  Brazilian  and  is  administered  as  a  federal 
possession. 

As  always  happens  during  family  quarrels,  business  suffered  during 
the  Acre  war.  The  shipments  of  rubber  in  1898,  2,000  tons,  dropped  in 
1900  to  800  tons.  Shortly  after  this  the  Brazilian  Federal  government, 
with  an  idea  of  stimulating  production,  reduced  the  export  tax  on  Acre 
rubber  frcm  23  per  cent,  to  15  per  cent.,  allowing  it  to  be  shipped  from 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


165 


either  Manaos  or  Para.  Manaos  promptly  protested,  claiming  that  rub- 
ber gatherers  in  Amazonas  near  the  Acre  district  would  smuggle  their 
rubber  over  the  border  and  ship  it  in  as  an  Acre  product.  The  figures 
were  therefore  changed  back  to  23  per  cent.,  of  which  8  per  cent,  was 
to  be  refunded  when  .it  was  positively  proved  that  the  rubber  came 
from  the  Acre. 

One  of  the  first  things   the  Federal  government  did  was  to  issue 
a  proclamation  forbidding  laborers  to  leave  the  employ  of  their  masters 


"SERINGAL"    SEBASTOPOL,    ON    THE    PURUS. 


if  they  were  in  debt  to  them.     They  were  heavily  fined  for  so  doing  as 
were  also  the  owners  of  scringaes  who  hired  them. 

Laws'  were  also  issued  by  the  Prefect,  requiring  owners  of  ser- 
ingdes  for  two  years  or  more  to  stake  their  boundaries  so  as  to  obtain 
titles.  They  were  required  to  pay  to  the  Federal  government  5/100  of  / 
a  real  per  square  meter  for  the  land.  Provisional  titles  were  also  issued 
to  those  who  explored  and  took  possession  of  land  for  six  months.  Both 
territorial  and  Federal  government  shared  in  this  fee,  making  owner- 
ship doubly  secure.  After  30  provisional  and  10  or  12  final  titles  had 


i66 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


been  granted  it  was  discovered  that  the  Prefect  had  no  authority.  This 
was  the  cause  of  much  confusion  as  some  who  had  lived  there  for  years 
and  made  great  sacrifices  that  the  country  should  be  Brazilian  were 
placed  in  a  position  where  they  practically  had  no  titles  for  their 
properties. 

The  ownership  of  rubber  estates  in  the  Amazon  country  is  very 
interesting.  Of  course  where  large  seringaes  are  established  and  fine 
buildings  put  up,  good  titles  are  forthcoming.  A  great  many  claims, 
riowever.  belong  to  business  houses  in  Manaos  and  Para.  These  they 


TOWN     OF     CANUTAMA,     ON     THE    .PURUS. 


sell  or  rent,  and  get  them  back  again  in  either  case  very  often.  Along  the 
more  accessible  waterways  the  country  has. been  thoroughly  prospected 
for  rubber  and  it  is  all  owned.  But  there  are  scores  of  small  tributaries, 
accessible  to  steam  launches,  awaiting  discovery  and  occupation.  Taking 
possession  of  a  tract  is  often  the  only  title  for  years,  then  perhaps  the 
nominal  owner  dies  and  his  chief  creditor  pays  for  a  survey  and  pur- 
chases the  land  from  the  government.  The  smaller  owners  of  such 
estates  are  often  obliged  to  defend  themselves  "from  rubber  thieves  and 
even  the  larger  estate  owners  have  men  with  rifles  to  protect  their 


OF    THE    AMAZON  167 

property.  Years  ago  the  same  state  of .  affairs  existed  on  the  lower 
Amazon,  but  disorders  of  that  sort  have  ceased  and  it  is  only  far  in  the 
interior  that  the  individual  makes  and  executes  his  own  laws. 

Brazil  divided  the  Acre  territory  into  three  districts.  In  each  the 
Federal  law  is  administered  by  Prefects  and  they  in  turn  are  responsible 
to  a  Governor.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  Bolivian  money  is  very  largely 
used  for  the  Acre  district,  and  is  the  basis  of  all  exchange. 

Although  the  laborers  are  illiterate,  the  owners  of  the  sermgaes 
are  among  the  most  alert  and  progressive  business  men  in  the  Amazonian 
basin.  Some  of  them  control  immense  properties,  own  their  own  steamers, 
and  are  experimenting  with  new  methods  of  collecting  and  coagulating 


CONFLUENCE    OF    THE    ACRE    AND    PURUS    RIVERS. 

rubber  constantly.  For  example,  some  of  them  have  looked  into  the 
coagulation  of  latex  as  it  is  done,  in  the  Far  East.  If  some  such  method 
were  adopted  it  would  be  a  great  boon  to  the  laborers.  To-day,  the 
man  who  smokes  latex  over  the  palm  nut  fire  gets  overheated,  and  then 
plunges  into  a  nearby  stream  to  cool  off.  The  result  is  fever  and  often- 
times death. 

The  Acre  district  has  a  number  of  towns  that  are  rapidly  becoming  \ 
important;  it  also  has  newspapers  and  in  1909  held. a  rubber  congress. 
Among  other  questions  considered  at  that  convention  were  the  protection 
of  Brazilian  supremacy  in  crude  rubber,  the  systematizing  of  the  business 


i68 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


of  collection  and  shipment,  and  the  securing  of  greater  profits.  The 
spirit  of  modernism  also  is  growing  very  rapidly.  In  1909,  when  crude 
rubber  went  to  $1.56  a  pound,  one  of  the  "cities"  proclaimed  a  holiday. 
A  parade  was  formed,  speeches  were  made  to  and  by  the  government 
delegate,  and  the  whole  population  was  treated  to  champagne. 

Much  of  the  upper  part  of  the  Acre  is  still  practically  unexplored. 
The  isolated  rubber  gatherers  there  are  visited  by  peddlers  in  canoes  who 
smuggle  to  them  provisions  and  liquor  and  get  rubber  in  return.  It  is 
said  that  individuals  on  river  steamers  lower  down  are  not  averse  to 
doing  the  same  thing.  Of  late  years  not  only  have  Cearcnses  gone  up 


OUTFITTING   RUBBER    GATHERERS    AT    A      SERINGAL      ON    THE    ACRE    RIVER. 


the  river  but  many  Barbadian  negroes  have  become  rubber  gatherers. 
The  mortality  of  the  rubber  districts  of  Brazil  has  always  been 
large.  It  was  reported  for  example,  when  the  census  of  the  Puriis  river 
district  was  taken,  that  enough  immigrants  had  gone  there  to  make  a 
population  of  40,000  yet  the  figures  showed  16,000  remaining.  It  is  not 
probable  that  all  or  one-half  of  the  24,000  missing  perished.  Still  a 
great  many  were  victims  to  disease,  as  a  rule  brought  on  by  their 
own  lack  of  care.  The  traveler's  tales  that  each  ton  of  rubber  costs  a 


OF    THE    AMAZON  169 

human  life  cannot  be  substantiated.  Natives  die  off  from  cachaca,  from 
fevers  brought  on  by  drinking  unboiled  water,  and  because  they  will 
not  protect  themselves  from  mosquitos  at  night.  At  present  there  is 
no  way  to  make  them  take  better  care  of  themselves. 

In  the  upper  valleys  the  rainy  season  begins  in  September  and  ends 
in  December,  while  in  the  middle  and  lower  valleys  it  is  months  longer, 
beginning  in  November  and  terminating  in  March.  In  the  southern 
regions  the  rains  begin  in  June  and  end  in  October.  It  will  thus  be 
seen  that  the  Acre  territory  offers  a  much  longer  working  season  than 
the  others.  The  fine  grade  of  rubber  known  as  "Punis"  comes  from 
the  Acre.  In  the  dry  season,  which  is  when  most  of  the  tapping  is 
done,  the  seringuieros  live  very  well  indeed.  In  addition  to  their  regular 
supplies,  there  is  a  great  variety  of  game — wild  pigs,  tapir,  deer,  black 
monkeys,  and  turtle.  There  are  also  fish,  great  and  small,  wild  turkeys, 
geese  and  ducks,  and  turtle  eggs  by  the  canoe  load.  Although  fresh 
vegetables  are  not  obtainable,  there  are  many  forest  fruits  that  take 
their  place  and  prevent  illness.  The  fresh  meat  must  of  course  be  used 
at  once  as  it  will  not  keep.  Turtles,  however,  are  kept  in  stock  by  penning 
them  in  a  pit  until  ready  for  cooking. 

The  wet  season,  however,  is  a  time  of  trial.  Rain  descends  in  sheets 
and  appalling  thunder  showers  are  almost  of  daily  occurrence.  It  is 
apparently  hotter  than  ever,  a  steamy  hotness  that  is  very  trying.  The 
river  rises  so  that  rubber  gathering  is  impossible.  The  fish  disappear  in 
the  flooded  lands  and  are  almost  impossible  to  catch.  Tapir,  deer,  wild 
pigs  and  even  the  game  birds  seek  the  higher  lands  far  away  from  the 
river.  Insect  pests  multiply  and,  between  threatened  starvation  or  anni- 
hilation by  mosquitos  or  hungry  alligators,  the  seringueiro  is  at  his  wits 
end.  Of  course  he  could  provide  against  this  very  easily  but  he  never 
does. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

MATTO  GROSSO,  A  GREAT  UNEXPLORED  COUNTRY — GATHERING  OF  MATTO  GROSSO 
RUBBER — COLOMBIA  ON  THE  AMAZON — "HEVEA,"  CAUCHO,  AND  BALATA — VENEZUELA 
AND  THE  Rio  NEGRO — "ANGOSTURA"  RUBBER — THE  CASIQUIARE  AND  THE  FORESTAL 
DISTRICT — CARELESS  RUBBER  GATHERING. 

THE  great  Brazilian  state  of  Matto  Grosso,  in  the  southern  part  of 
which  were  at  one  time  productive  diamond  fields,  will  doubt- 
less be  the  next  great  producer  of  rubber.  It  produces  con- 
siderable now,  but  has  possibilities  in  the  way  of  infinitely  greater  pro- 
duction, once  its  territory  is  explored.  It  is  over  500,000  square  miles  in 
area,  reaching  from  Amazonas  on  the  north  to  Paraguay  on  the  south. 
The  Guapore  river,  which  flows  into  the  Amazon  through  the  Madeira, 
is  part  of  the  boundary  line  between  this  state  and  Bolivia.  The  river 
just  named  is  but  one  of  a  number  of  important  streams,  coming  from 
the  great  forest  reaches  in  which  is  much  rubber.  Of  the  others,  per- 
haps the  Tapajos  is  the  most  important. 

The  state  of  Matto  Grosso  is  very  sparsely  populated,  150,000  souls 
being  a  liberal  estimate.  No  portion  of  the  Brazils  is  perhaps  better 
named  than  this,  the  words  meaning  "Dense  Forests" — practically  as 
dense,  indeed,  as  at  the  time  of  its  discovery  400  years  ago.  The  forest 
lands  are  wonderfully  rich  in  valuable  woods,  medicinal  plants  and  barks, 
and  all  the  sturdy  pioneer  needs  to  do  is  to  go  in  and  help  himself. 

It  was  as  late  as  1893  that  rubber  trees  were  discovered  in  Matto 
Grosso  and  the  official  report  declared  that  there  were  "thousands 
of  millions"  of  them.  In  1900  a  party  of  young  Americans  went  to 
Matto  Grosso  to  hunt  for  rubber.  They  disappeared  into  the  trackless 
forests  and  were  never  heard  of  again.  A  relief  expedition  sent  in 
months  later  could  find  no  trace  of  them,  and  indeed  came  near  suffering 
the  fate  of  those  whom  they  were  trying  to  relieve. 

With  the  extension  of  railways  from  southern  Brazil,  the  opening 
up  of  such  great  concessions  as  that  granted  to  the  Madeira-Mamore 
Railway  Co.,  on  the  Guapore  river,  and  the  constant  pushing  up  such 
rivers  as  the  Xingu  by  rubber  hunters,  the  forest  interior  must  soon 
be  known  and  exploited. 

170 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


171 


Undoubtedly  Matto  Grosso  rubber  came  out  through  the  Xingu, 
the  Tapajos,  and  the  Guapore  long  ago,  but  with  no  record  of  just 
where  it  came  from.  No  such  system  for  rubber  collection,  as  yet,  obtains 
in  this  little  known  territory,  as  is  in  vogue  in  the  rest  of  the  Amazon 
valley.  Where  there  is  regular  rubber  gathering,  estradas  are  laid  out, 


^ATLANTIC 


MAP  OF  THE  VENEZUELAN  FORESTAL. 


each  gatherer  attending  to  something  like  100  trees.  According  to  de 
Mello,  latex  cups  are  not  attached  to  the  tree  itself,  but  little  troughs 
made  from  the  wood  of  the  "bority"  palm  are  fastened  to  the  tree  with 
pegs,  the  joint  between  tree  and  trough  being  filled  with  clay.  He  claims 
that  the  milk  is  coagulated  by  the  addition  of  alum  dissolved  in  hot 


172 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


"RATELAO"  IN  THE  RAPIDS,  UPPER  RIO  NEGRO. 


water.    The  freshly  coagulated  latex  is  then  pressed  between  boards  to 
expel  as  much  water  as  possible. 

His  description  is  not  altogether  clear  in  many  respects,  and  it  may 
be  that  he  has  confused  the  coagulation  of  the  Hevea  latex  with  the 
boiling  of  the  "mangabeira"  milk.  It  is,  however,  true  that  much  of  the 


EMBARKING    CATTLE    ON    THE    UPPER    RIO    NEGRO. 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


173 


Matto  Grosso  rubber  is  poorly  handled,  and  is  usually  air  cured  instead 
of  being  smoked.  That,  however,  will  rectify  itself  when  the  territory  is 
opened,  as  the  smoked  product  brings  a  much  better  price.  Matto  Grosso 
"coarse"  is  to-day  quite  common ;  "fine"  and  "medium"  are  also  on  the 
market.  The  state  export  tax  on  rubber  is  20  per  cent. 

Most  of  the  rubber  exploitation  in  the  Brazils  has  been  south  of  the 
Amazon.  That  there  are  a  great  variety  of  rubber  producing  trees  north 
of  the  Amazon  is  undoubted.  There  are  many  sections  where  the  Hevea 


R1VI.K    SCENE    ON    THE    UPPER    RIO    NEGRO. 


Brasiliensis  does  not  seem  to  be  present.  The  Guyanensis,  however,  is 
very  widely  distributed,  and  produces  a  rubber  that  is  well  worth  gather- 
ing, although  it  is  probable  that  it  needs  different  treatment  in  coagu- 
lation from  Brasiliensis. 

The  Amazon  for  more  than  600  miles  forms  a  boundary  between 
Brazil  and  Colombia.  There  is  a  vast  territory  north  of  the  river  that 
is  watered  by  the  Putumayo,  the  Napo,  the  Caqueta,  and  their  tributaries, 
forming  a  wonderful  system  of  waterways  into  a  country  rich  in  Hcrca 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


TOWN    ON    THE    RIO    BRANCO. 


"FAZENDA   CAPELLO"   ON   THE  RIO   BRANCHO. 


OF    THE    AMAZON  175 

rubber,  in  caucho  and  balata.  Very  considerable  quantities  of  rubber 
come  to  Manaos  from  this  section.  This  territory  has  been  more  or  less 
worked  for  many  years,  although  the  rubber  has  not  been  very  extensively 
gathered,  the  early  exploration  having  been  for  quinine.  It  appears  on  the 
map  as  being  Colombian  property,  but  it  is  well  to  add  that  it  is  claimed 
by  Peru.  Indeed,  Peruvian  custom  houses  were  established  and  taxes 
collected  on  all  exports.  The  governments  of  Colombia  and  Peru,  how- 


"SERINGAL"  ON  THE  RIO  BRANCO. 


ever,  put  in  force  a  modus  vivendi,  giving  both  countries  equal  rights 
on  the  Putumayo  until  the  boundaries  are  settled  by  arbitration. 

The  southeastern  federal  territories  of  Venezuela,  notably  Amazonas, 
drained  by  the  Rio  Negro,  are  rich  in  rubber  trees.  A  certain  amount 
of  rubber  known  as  "Angostura,."  fine  and  coarse,  comes  down  to  Manaos 
and  once  the  territory,  particularly  to  the  east  of  Bolivar,  is  explored, 
both  rubber  and  balata  undoubtedly  will  be  found  in  abundance.  There 
are  scanty  records  of  the  rubber  that  comes  from  Venezuela  by  way  of 


176 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


the  Rio  Negro.  Sometimes  it  is  noted  and  oftentimes  it  is  claimed  as  a 
Brazilian  product.  In  1902,  for  example,  48,000  kilograms  of  fine  Para 
and  20,000  of  coarse  were  credited  to  Venezuela,  but  other  years,  when 
just  as  much  came  in,  there  are  no  official  figures  to  show  for  it. 


FOREST     SCENE     IN     COLOMBIA. 


The  upper  Rio  Negro,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  joined  to  the  upper 
Orinoco  by  a  river  known  as  the  Casiquiare,  so  that  there  is  a  waterway 
from  Manaos  to  the  upper  Orinoco.  It  is  a  narrow,  turbulent,  canal 


OF    THE    AMAZON  177 

river  with  one  small  cataract  and  several  rapids,  and  is  really  navigable 
only  to  expert  canoeists. 

The  Venezuela  territory,  that  has  its  outlet  through  the  Rio  Negro 
and  depends  on  the  city  of  Manaos  for  its  market  is  called  the  Forestal 
District,  and  is  some  300,000  square  miles  in  area.  Nearly  the  whole 
of  this  is  at  present  government  land.  Some  38,000  square  miles  of  this 
rich  land  is  drained  by  the  Rio  Negro.  Parts  of  the  country  are  hot 
and  unhealthy.  The  inhabitants  of  this  part  of  Venezuela  are  chiefly 
Indians.  For  example,  in  the  territory  of  Amazonas  the  population  is 
46,000,  of  which  more  than  45,000  are  Indians.  They  are  a  docile,  un- 
ambitious type  of  humanity,  willing  to  work  under  proper  direction. 

The  Venezuela  government  is  more  than  willing  to  have  this  terri- 
tory developed  and  concessionaires  who  take  up  development  problems 
honestly  and  energetically  get  excellent  treatment.  Promoters  of  fraudu- 
lent schemes,  however,  once  they  are  recognized,  can  get  into  more 
trouble  than  anywhere  else  in  the  world. 

Rubber  gatherers  up  the  Rio  Negro  are  more  careless  than  they 
are  south  of  the  Amazon.  They  make  a  trough  around  the  body  of  the 
tree,  using  the  pith  of  the  "miriti"  palm.  Above  this  are  made  incisions, 
and  as  the  latex  runs  down  into  the  trough,  it  drains  off  into  a  little 
earthen  pot  set  on  the  ground.  Hardwood  smoke  is  used  in  curing 
instead  of  palm  nuts. 

Just  as  a  bit  of  rubber  history:  An  alert  promoter  once  interested 
American  capitalists  to  the  extent  of  backing  a  great  rubber  gathering 
company  on  the  banks  of  the  Casiquiare.  As  far  as  could  be  learned  the 
nearest  he  got  to  his  rubber  fields  was  the  city  of  Manaos,  800  miles 
away.  That,  however,  did  not  prevent  him  sending  out  exhaustive  reports 
of  the  number  of  trees  that  he  saw,  tapping  that  he  did  himself  and 
adventures  that  came  his  way.  His  descriptions  of  the  flora,  of  bird, 
beast  and  insect  were  marvelous,  and  were  innocently  published  in  the 
company's  advertisements.  He  was  the  only  man  in  the  world  who  ever 
saw  birds  of  Paradise  in  South  America,  and  his  company  the  only  one 
that  ever  published  the  fact  of  their  presence  among  Hevea  trees  to 
allure  investors 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

DOWN  THE  AMAZON  IN  A  FREIGHTER — SANTAREM  AND  WICKHAM — THE  NAR- 
ROWS AGAIN — ARRIVAL  AT  PARA — RUBBER  PLANTING  LANDS — EXAMINATIONS  OF 
THE  "RAIN  FOREST" — "CAPOEIRA"  LAND. 

THE  journey  down  the  Amazon  was  fully  as  interesting  but  briefer 
than  the  upstream  voyage.  The  captain  was  a  veteran  in  the 
Amazon  trade,  and  knew  Manaos  thirty  years  before,  when  it 
was  only  a  farmyard,  and  Iquitos  when  it  was  an  Indian  village.  He 
gave  me  his  cabiri  and  laid  himself  out  to  make  me  comfortable.  The 
boat  was  a  slow  one,  but  with  the  current  we  had  no  trouble  in  doing* 
13  knots,  and  passed  Ita'coatiara  early  in  the  evening.  The  river  had 
risen  10  feet  since  we  came  up,  and  by  the  water  marks  on  the  trees 
had  still  another  10  to  go.  The  floating  logs,  trees,  and  grass  patches 
had  multiplied  greatly. 

The  food  was  excellent,  the  drinking  water  good,  and,  swinging 
our  hammocks  high  up  on  the  rear  deck,  we  were  very  comfortable. 
The  big,  flatbottomed  freighter  was  as  steady  as  a  rock,  and  slid  through 
the  water  as  if  she  was  greased. 

I  was  up  at  six  the  next  morning  and  found  it  raining  heavily.  All 
the  forenoon  we  passed  through  exceedingly  heavy  showers.  The  rain 
drove  under  the  awning  more  or  less,  so  I  put  on  a  rubber  coat  and 
wondered  if  friends  at  home  would  believe  how  cool  it  was  at  midday 
directly  on  the  equator.  We  passed  Santarem  that  afternoon,  and  got 
a  good  view  of  the  sandy  beach  in  front  of  the  town,  its  big  white  church, 
and  its  little  one  story  houses  with  the  blue  fronts  and  red  roofs.  We 
also  saw  the  wireless  station — the  "deaf  and  dumb  wireless"  as  the 
captain  graphically  described  it. 

The  Tapajos  river  enters  the  Amazon  opposite  Santarem,  and  as 
it  is  not  as  muddy  as  the  latter,  it  shows  the  same  line  of  black  water 
as  does  the  Rio  Negro,  although  in  lesser  degree.  It  is  a  good  thing 
to  remember  that  Santarem  is  the  place  where  Wickham  back  in  the 
'To's  was  installing  a  small  rubber  plantation  and  watching  for  Oppor- 
tunity. Luckily  for  the  planters  in  the  Far  East  it  came,  when  the  big 

178 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


179 


British  steamer  Amazonas,  without  cargo  and  without  cash  to  buy  one, 
hove  in  sight.  Wickham,  practically  penniless,  chartered  it  for  the  Indian 
government,  stored  baskets  of  Hevea  seeds  in  its  huge  hold,  won  hasty 
clearance  from  Para  for  "rare  botanic  specimens,"  and  got  the  seeds 
to  the  Kew  gardens  alive  and  vital.  Every  Hevea  tree  in  the  Far  East 
and  thousands  in  other  parts  of  the  world  are  a  direct  result  of  that 
act.  The  British  planters  should  erect  a  splendid  monument  at  Santarem 
in  honor  of  Wickham,  but  they  will  .never  do  it — with  the  consent  of 
the  Brazilians. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Cross  secured  a  thousand  H'evea  Bra- 


AMERICAN     HOME     IN     SANTAREM. 


siliensis  plants  which  he  shipped  to  Liverpool  in  October,  1876.  Wick- 
ham's  seeds  reached  Kew  gardens,  June,  1876.  Both  the  seedlings  from 
Kew  and  the  plants  sent  by  Cross  to  Peradeniya  and  Heneratgoda  gar- 
dens, Ceylon.  Wickham's  undoubtedly  got  there  first  and  made  up  the 
government  grove  that  afterward  supplied  rubber  seed  to  every  part  of 
the  tropical  world. 

One  night  a  boat  of  our  own  line  saluted  us  in  passing,  showing 
a  flare  which  burned  green  for  three  minutes,  then  shot  up  three  white 
balls,  lighting  up  the  yellow  waters  and  the  black  jungle  most  weirdly. 
When  we  reached  the  place  where  the  German  boat  had  grounded,  al- 
though it  was  broad  daylight,  it  rained  so  heavily  that  one  could  not  see 


i8o 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


a  boat's  length  ahead.  The  pilot  knew  where  we  were,  but  he  also  knew 
what  the  river  could  do  in  the  way  of  making  new  channels  and  obliterat- 
ing old  ones,  so  we  anchored  until  it  cleared. 

The  next  morning  at  6  o'clock  we  were  about  twenty  miles  from 
the  beginning  of  the  "Narrows."  About  8  o'clock  we  were  off  Garupa. 
where  there  is  quite  a  settlement.  Here  the  current  was  not  as  strong, 
the  shore  began  to  be  fringed  with  palms,  and  it  grew  much  warmer. 
We  began  to  see  rubber  trees,  huts  on  stilts,  and  banks  awash  at  the 
river's  edge.  We  thought  we  had  been  through  heavy  rains.  But  the 
shower  that  came  driving  up  through  the  narrows  so  far  outclassed  any 


PLANTED  "HEVEA"  (32  MONTHS  OLD)   AT  SANTAREM. 


former  experience  that  we  decided  we  hadn't  really  known  what  rain 
was.  It  passed  after  time,  however,  and  we  went  on.  The  Captain  and 
I  had  tea  and  toast,  standing  up  to  take  it,  for  there  was  no  dry  place 
to  sit,  even  on  that  awning  shaded  deck.  At  4.30  we  passed  through 
Furo  Grande,  casting  the  lead  every  few  feet,  as  many  boats  go 
aground  here.  We  got  through  without  mishap,  however,  and  turned 
in  at  8.30  that  night,  with  the  assurance  that  we  could  be  in  Para 
at  dawn. 

The  morning  of  our  arrival  at  Para  we  were  up  at  5.30,  sighting 
the  islands  of  the  city  an  hour  later.  By  g  o'clock  we  had  breakfast, 
successfully  passed  the  doctor  and  the  customs,  and,  entering  the  launch 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


181 


which  friends  had  sent  out,  went  ashore.  To  my  surprise  and  pleasure 
I  found  that  the  rubber  exporters  and  merchants  had  arranged  that  I 
should  be  their  guest  while  I  stayed  in  the  city,  as  well  as  at  a  banquet 
to  be  given  that  night  at  the  Cafe  da  Pas. 


YOUNG    PLANTED    "HEVEA      ON    TAPAJOS    PLATEAU. 

I  was  fortunate  enough  to  know  the  acting  director  of  the  Para 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station  and  get  his  -ideas  on  local  planting. 
He  was  a  young  American,  was  an  instructor  in  botany  in  an  American 


1 82  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

university,  and  later  at  the  head  of  an  important  section  in  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture.  More  than  any  other  he  has  studied 
the  problems  of  rubber  planting  in  the  state  of  Para.  I  quizzed  him  very 
searchingly,  and  the  following  is  his  statement,  almost  verbatim,  and  it  is 
worth  serious  consideration : 

Although  in  itself  the  greatest  rubber  shipping  port  in  the  world, 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  city  of   Para   seems  never,  except  by  a 


OLD      HEVEA      TREES    IN   THE   FOREST    NEAR    SANTAREM. 

few  better  informed  and  more  far  sighted  than  others,  to  have  been 
considered  seriously  as  a  factor  in  the  -production  of  plantation  rubber. 
Nevertheless,  this  district  possesses  advantages  and  opportunities  af- 
forded by  none  other. 

The  city's  proximity  to  the  sea  and  its  natural  advantages  as  a  port 
are  so  well  known  and  its  advantage  in  this  respect  over  upriver  points, 
where  higher  freights  would  be  unavoidable,  are  so  apparent  that  they 


OF    THE   AMAZON 


183 


may  be  passed  over.  Then  Para  possesses  a  railroad  of  250  kilometers 
(155  miles)  in  length,  which  affords  access,  ignoring  the  still  much  too 
prevalent  belief  that  Hci'ca  delights  in  wet  and  swampy  locations,  to  a 
tract  of  well  drained  and  healthful  territory,  immune  to  the  caprices 
of  annual  floods,  which  is  capable  of  producing  a  grade  of  rubber  com- 
parable to  any  now  coming  from  the  Amazon  valley.  This  territory  was 


OLD  "HEVEAS"  ON   BORDER  OF  STREAM   NEAR  SANTAREM. 


personally  inspected  by  the  writer  with  the  express  purpose  of  investigat- 
ing its  suitability  for  rubber  culture. 

This  section,  speaking  of  the  more  accessible  portion  south  of  the 
river,  forms  part  of  the  great  forest  system  of  the  lower  Amazon  and 
extends  in  an  unbroken  stretch,  practically  without  variation,  eastward 
to  the  sea  and  southward  to  the  mountains.  The  formation  is  a  typical 
tropical  rain  forest ;  the  large  trees,  among  which  are  some  veritable 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


185 


giants,  stand  comparatively  far  apart  and  represent  almost  innumerable 
species ;  the  undergrowth  is  somewhat  more  compact,  the  small  trees  are 
straight  and  slender  while  the  whole  is  intertwined  with  llanos  and  made 
practically  impenetrable.  Extremely  hard  and  durable  woods  are  plenti- 


THE     STREET     OF     CEARENSES,     PARA. 


ful,  some  defying  both  the  axe  and  the  agencies  of  decay,  but  the  trees 
of  any  one  given  species  are  so  isolated  and  difficult  to  find  and  reach 
that  remunerative  lumbering  is  out  of  the  question.  The  small  trees  and 
llanos,  or  cipos,  serve  many  useful  purposes  in  the  construction  of  houses, 
fences,  and  tools. 


THE    RAILROAD    TO    BRAGANCA,    PARA. 


In  this  forest  the  rubber  tree  is  no  exception  to  the  general  rule, 
as  it  is  scattered  and  found  in  isolated  locations  like  the  other  native 
species.  The  large  size  of  the  specimens  found,  however,  even  when  in 


i86  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

competition  with  other  and  oftentimes  more  vigorous  denizens  of  the 
forest,  testifies  to  its  adaptability  to  its  surroundings.  In  some  localities, 
it  is,  of  course,  more  plentiful  than  in  others,  as  those  who  remember 
recent  newspaper  accounts  of  discoveries  made  near  the  borders  of 
Maranham  will  know.  There  are  also  in  the  city  and  along  the  Braganga 
railroad,  Para  rubber  trees  of  a  foot  or  more  in  diameter,  which  were 
planted  and  are  now '  producing  rubber  of  the  finest  grade.  These  are 
large,  strong  and  productive,  even  when  much  crowded  and  neglected. 

Labor  does  not  present  any  unusual  difficulties  near  Para,  nor  are 
the  forests  difficult  to  remove.  Raw  labor  is  available  in  almost  unlimited 
quantities  near  the  city.  It  is  easy  also  to  import  men  from  southern 
Europe  and  the  Madeiras,  a  class  which  rapidly  accustoms  itself  to  the 
climate,  which  is  not  at  all  unhealthful,  especially  in  the  higher  districts 
away  from  the  vicinity  of  the  rivers. 

The  native  custom  of  clearing  the  land  of  forests  is  to  fell  the  small 
trees  and  ring,  or  kill  by  fire,  such  of  the  large  trees  as  have  not  yet 
been  removed  for  their  valuable  timber,  and  then  to  set  fire  to  the  whole 
when  somewhat  dry.  This  practice  destroys  the  most  valuable  elements 
of  the  soil  for  the  time  being,  making  it  useless  for  more  than  one  or 
possibly  two  crops  of  corn  or  cassava,  but  the  supply  of  potash  made 
available  by  the  combustion  of  the  timber  serves  as  a  stimulant  for  plant 
growth,  which  can  be  improved  upon  later  by  mulching  or  by  a  system  of 
green  manuring. 

In  what  is  known  as  capoeira  land — i.  e.,  abandoned  clearings,  which 
have  been  covered  by  second  growth — the  cost  of  clearing  is,  of  course, 
much  less ;  the  humus  has  been  restored  to  the  soil,  oftentimes  in  greater 
quantities  than  ever  before,  and  a  clearing  can  be  made  simply  by 
felling  the  young  growth  of  trees,  which  can  be  left  to  decay.  This  does 
away  almost  entirely  with  the  extra  expense  of  burning  and  cleaning  up 
after  felling ;  besides  it  preserves  the  humus  in  the  soil  and  adds  an 
additional  amount  with  a  mulch  by  its  own  decay. 


,u 

: 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

PLANTING    INTEREST   IN    PARA — NEW    PLANTING   LAWS — A    WORD    ABOUT   THE 
TAPPING  SEASON— WHAT  PARA  RUBBER  TREES  YIELD— THE  "RECEBEDORIA." 

THE  planting  idea  seemed  to  have  taken  a  strong  hold  upon  the 
residents  of  both  Para  and  Manaos.  I  talked  long  with  one 
large  operator  in  the  Acre  who  assured  me  that  his  house  had 
already  planted  more  than  100,000  trees.  There  were  those  who  were 
urging  the  governor  of  Amazonas  to  grant  subsidies  and  concessions 
of  all  sorts,  but  while  he  was  most  favorable  to  the  planting  idea,  he 
did  not  see  his  way  clear  to  favor  exactly  the  plans  put  before  him. 

Para  had  just  passed  laws  designed  to  encourage  rubber  planting. 
These  covered  a  premium  for  trees  actually  planted ;  the  gratuitous  dis- 
tribution of  seeds ;  and  a  reduction  of  50  per  cent,  on  the  export  duty 
on  rubber  for  ten  years,  and  30  per  cent,  for  the  next  ten  years.  There 
was  also  an  opportunity  for  the  company  to  borrow  money  from  the 
government  at  a  fair  rate  of  interest,  and  a  proviso  that  the  planting 
company  must  maintain  a  school  for  twenty  orphans  who  must  be 
taught  the  elements  of  tropical  husbandry. 

From  a  practical  standpoint  the  trouble  about  any  rubber  plant- 
ing proposition  in  Brazil  is  that  governors,  like  our  own  presidents, 
normally  last  only  four  years.  An  unfriendly  governor  may  not  be  able 
to  cancel  a  contract,  but  he  can  easily  interpret  the  various  articles 
so  that  it  would  be  valueless.  Not  that  there  is  any  present  indication 
of  such  change  or  such  attitude,  but  the  time  might  come  when  such 
action  would  be  thought  advisable. 

My  own  hope  was  that  the  governments  of  both  Para  and  Ama- 
nas  would  remove  the  tax  on  plantation  grown  rubber  entirely  for  a 
series  of  years.  That  they  refused  to  do,  as  there  were  decided  diffi- 
culties in  the  way.  For  example,  wild  rubber  prepared  as  is  planta- 
tion rubber  would  be  sure  to  appear,  and  if  a  company  owned  both 
wild  and  planted  rubber  the  temptation  would  be  to  get  most  of  both 
kinds  upon  the  market  without  an  export  duty. 

Nor  is  the  clause  placing  export  duty  of  planted  rubber  at  one-half 

187 


i88 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


that  of  wild  rubber  an  attractive  proposition.  It  should  have  been  a 
definite  sum  like  5  or  10  cents  a  pound  ;  or  a  definite  percentage  on 
the  sales  value  of  the  rubber,  say  5  or  10  per  cent.  Another  thing, 
the  idea  of  the  planter  running  an  industrial  school  or  orphan  asylum 
in  connection  with  a  business  venture  will  not  appeal  to  many.  It  is 
more  than  likely  that  these  laws  will  be  amended  and  simplified.  In- 
deed, their  very  presence  is  a  decided  advance,  and  a  strong  symptom 
of  the  desire  of  the  government  to  encourage  planting  on  a  large  scale. 
It  may  be  that  I  have  not  made  it  plain  just  when  rubber  is  tapped. 
Speaking  broadly  the  tapping  season  is  from  August  to  January,  about 
six  months.  Actually  there  is  tapping  on  all  of  the  time,  for  in  seme 


THREE     YEAR     OLD     RUBBER     AT     DI AM  ANTING. 


places  the  inundation  is  not  enough  of  a  factor  to  stop  it.  It  must  be 
remembered  also  that  during  the  rainy  season  it  doesn't  necessarily  rain 
every  minute  and  there  are  mornings  when  the  seringueiros  are  able 
to  secure  a  certain  amount  of  latex  with  no  admixture  of  rain  water. 

A  great  many  different  figures  are  given  regarding  the  yields  of 
Para  rubber  trees  for  the  season.  In  the  lower  Amazon  some  estates 
are  said  to  go  as  low  as  a  pound  a  tree,  others  yielding  2  and  3  pounds. 
When  certain  estates  on  the  island  of  Marajo  were  sold  a  yield  of 
nearly  9  pounds  a  tree  was  claimed.  An  analysis  of  their  annual  pro- 
duction however  brought  the  figures  down  to  about  7  pounds  a  tree. 


OF    THE    AMAZON  189 

A  prospectus  of  an  Amazonas  estate  near  Manaos  claimed  17 
pounds  per  tree,  while  an  expert  estimating  on  the  same  property  put 
the  yield  at  10  pounds  per  tree.  Collins,  in  his  report  on  the  lower 


AN     INDIAN     TAPPER    WITH     MODERN     METHODS. 

Amazon,  spoke  of  a  daily  yield  of  2  ounces  per  tree,  which  would 
equal  22^2  pounds  per  season.  Conway,  speaking  of  yields  in  Bolivia, 
estimated  that  they  were  never  less  than  3  pounds  per  tree,  and  never 


190 


THE  RUBBER  COUXTRY 


more  than  7.  A  French  Bolivian  syndicate  however  figured  on  13 
pounds  a  tree.  Figures  on  the  Purus  give  n  pounds  per  tree,  on  the 
Jurua  15  pounds,  and  the  Acre  9  pounds  per  tree.  For  an  average  Sir 

Martin  Conway's  figures  would  seem 
to  be  very  nearly'  right. 

At  the  same  time  no  two  estates 
are  alike  in  yield.  Trees  vary 
not  only  in  size  but  in  productive- 
ness. Trees  that  have  been  tapped 
for  years  give  somewhat  less  than 
those  that  have  only  been  tapped 
for  a  short  time.  In  addition  to  this 
some  gatherers  tap  every  day,  some 
every  other  day,  some  when  they 
please,  and  few  keep  records  that 
are  at  all  reliable.  There  are  oc- 
casional tales  of  unusual  yields  like 
the  following:  A  man  in  Manaos  in 
whom  I  have  every  confidence  told 
me  of  a  huge  Hevea  tree  on  the 
Madeira  that  gave  190  quarts  of 
latex  in  one  year.  I  don't  know 
how  thick  the  latex  was,  but  that 
would  normally  mean  something  like 
150  pounds  of  rubber.  Which  to  say 
the  least  would  be  unusual. 

In  justice  to  the  poor  rubber 
gatherer  who  is  considered  careless 
and  dishonest  as  a  rule,  I  found 
many  that  were  careful  of  the  trees. 
For  example,  they  did  not  cut  into 
the  wood  of  the  tree  at  all.  They 
were  aware  that  a  borer  beetle,  the 
punilha,  is  likely  to  attack  the  ex- 
posed wood  and  destroy  the  tree. 
For  this  reason  some  refused  to 

pick  the  sernamby  from  the  cuts,  leaving  it  as  nature's  protection  against 
disease  and  insects. 

The  pelles  of  fine  Para  are  usually  of  a  size  to  be  conveniently 


HERRING     BONE     TAPPING     OF     "HEVEA 
IN    SOUTH    AMERICA. 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


191 


BUNGALOW    ON    THE    LOWER    AMAZON. 


handled  in  smoking  and  for  ease  in  packing.  They  weigh  from  10 
to  100  pounds.  Occasionally,  however,  big  balls  are  made  to  order 
that  are  afterward  exhibited  as  curios.  For  example,  in  1897  two- 


HUT     OF    A     "SERINGUEIRO"     NEAR     PARA. 


192 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


huge  balls  were  made  for  a  New  York  importer.  One  weighed  864 
pounds,  the  other  1279  pounds.  It  took  something  like  2500  pounds 
of  milk  to  make  the  larger  ball.  In  1909  a  rubber  gatherer  and  his 


SOUTH     AMERICAN     INDIAN    WITH    BLOW    GUN     AND    ARROWS,     SKETCHED     MY     LIEUTENANT 

GIBBON,    U.    S.    N.     1851. 


two  sons  made  a  ball  that  weighed  1118  pounds.  They  worked  five 
months  upon  it,  and  brought  it  down  to  Manaos  in  a  boat  by  itself, 
taking  25  clays  for  the  journey. 


194  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

The  method  by  which  export  taxes  are  assessed  in  Para  and  Manaos 
is  very  interesting.  These  duties  are  all  ad  valorem  and  are  calculated 
not  on  individual  shipments  but  by  official  (weekly)  valuation.  The 
office  of  state  taxes,  the  recebedoria,  receives  every  Monday  morning 
reports  from  the  exporters  of  the  different  prices  at  which  they  pur- 
chased the  week  preceding.  These  prices  are  averaged  and  the  official 
price,  the  pauta,  is  at  once  declared  for  that  current  week,  being  that 
average. 

This  system  applies  to  fine,  coarse,  and  caucho,  and  has  been  in 
vogue  almost  from  the  beginning  of  rubber  export. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

GOOD-BYE  TO  PARA — WONDERFUL  PHOSPHORESCENCE — IN  THE  GREAT  COAST  CUR- 
RENT— SHORT  STOP  AT  BARBADOS — LANDING  RUBBER  CARGO  AT  BROOKLYN. 

THE  time  came  when  I  must  say  farewell  to  the  fair  city  of  Para 
and  the  warm  hearted  and  hospitable  Brazilians.  I  spent  the 
last  night  at  the  home  of  a  Brazilian  friend ;  then,  the  next 
morning,  starting  early,  went  to  the  steamship  office,  where  a  score 
of  friends  had  gathered  to  say  good-bye.  A  little  later,  boarding  a 
launch,  I  reached  my  steamer  and  we  were  soon  en  route  for  Bar- 
bados. 

It  was  then  that  I  met  the  Peruvian  physician,  of  whom  I  have 
spoken,  who  was  ill  of  beriberi  and  was  seeking  the  salt  water,  which 
is  said  to  be  a  sure  cure.  He  scouted  the  generally  accepted  theory 
that  the  disease  comes  from  eating  polished  rice,  declaring  that  no 
one  as  yet  had  any  idea  of  its  cause. 

In  case  any  reader  needs  the  services  of  this  very  skilful  phy- 
sician in  Iquitos,  his  charges  are  3  arrobas*  of  rubber  for  an  ordinary 
prescription  and  25  arrobas  for  an  operation,  10  per  cent,  to  be  added 
for  shrinkage  of  the  rubber. 

The  Peruvian  doctor,  by  the  way,  told  me  of  a  young  American 
in  Para,  who  bought  a  motor  car  called  the  "Reo."  He  was  proud  of 
it  and  proud  of  the  name  Reo,  that  appeared  in  gilt  letters  on  the 
ladiator.  He  also  speeded  the  machine  very  rapidly.  The  courtly 
Brazilians  named  him  "The  Reo,"  some  in  all  honesty  and  others  with 
a  smile  of  appreciation.  He  was  much  nattered  until,  one  day,  in  brush- 
ing up  his  Portuguese,  he  discovered  that  the  word  meant  "Criminal." 

As  we  passed  down  the  Tocantins  the  Captain  pointed  out  a  dozen 
places  with  broad,  sandy  beaches  in  a  fairly  high  land,  that  were  con- 
stantly cooled  by  the  trade  winds,  where  in  his  judgment  Para  should 
have  been  located. 

By  4  that  afternoon  only  one  shore  was  in  sight.  The  water 
was  turning  from  a  muddy  yellow  to  a  tawny  green  and  the  ocean 

*One  arroba  equals  about  32  1/3  pounds  in  Brazil. 

195 


196 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


CANOE    HABEOR.   PARA. 


RUBBER    IN     CASES    ON     BROOKLYN     DOCK. 

(The    long    cases    contain    fine    Para    rubber    just    removed 

from    the    steamer    beyond.) 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


197 


swell  began  to  be  felt.  We  left  the  mouth  of  the  river  just  at  sunset 
and  two  hours  later  were  fascinated  by  the  wonderful  spectacle  of 
a  tropical  phosphorescent  sea.  As  the  boat  plowed  through  the  water, 
broad  streamers  of  star  sparkles  undulated  on  each  side  and  trailed 
for  hundreds  of  yards  astern.  Every  breaking  wave  to  the  far  horizon 
was  an  island  of  white  fire.  So  bright  were  these  myriad  lights  that 
we  had  difficulty  in  recognizing  Salinas  light,  and  were  only  sure  of  it 
by  its  yellow  color.  Soon  we  picked  up  the  pilot  boat  and  watched  with 


BOAT      LANDING,      PARA. 


interest  the  half-hour  struggle  of  the  man  in  her  little  tender  to  get 
alongside  and  take  off  our  pilot.  Finally,  by  making  a  long  jump,  he 
landed  sprawling  in  the  boat ;  then  we  turned  in  and  slept  soundly. 
The  next  day  we  found  the  great  current  that  sweeps  northward 
up  the  coast  of  South  America,  and  which  all  navigators  seek  in  going 
north  but  avoid  in  going  south.  The  day  was  clear  and  bright,  with 
a  strong  breeze  on  our  quarter.  The  big  freighter,  almost  flat  bottomed, 
with  no  bilge  keels,  wallowed  and  rolled  incessantly  but  pushed  steadily 


i98 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


WEIGHING    RUBBER    AT    BROOKLYN. 

(The    empty    case    is   being    weighed,    the    rubber    appears    in    a    pile 
in     the     foreground.) 


CRUDE    RUBBER    SAMPLE    ROOM    IN     IMPORTER'S    OFFICE,    AMSTERDAM. 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


199 


forward.  Fresh  from  the  smooth  waters  of  the  Amazon  and  some- 
what enervated  by  the  heat,  captain,  officers,  crew  and  passengers  were 
all  qualmish  and  sometimes  frankly  sick.  Salines  and  fruit  salts  were 
abundantly  in  evidence.  In  24  hours,  however,  all  had  recovered  and 
were  very  proud  that  our  ancient  ark  has  made  237  miles.  The  next 
day  it  was  281,  and  the  day  following  exactly  the  same.  Directly  after 
that  we  were  being  interviewed  by  a  brisk,  young  physician  in  the  road- 
stead off  Bridgetown,  Barbados ;  were  given  a  clean  bill  of  health,  not 


THE    LAST    OF    THE    CITY    SUBURBS,    PARA. 


even  being  put  under  observation,  and  our  $50  deposit  given  back  to 
Then   we   got   in   the   "Lilywhite,"   were   rowed   ashore,   and   the 


us. 


tropical  part  of  the   (Brazilian)  journey  was  finished. 

Then  followed  the  run  to  New  York,  to  the  rubber  docks,  for 
it  was  a  rubber  boat  that  I  was  on,  and  a  view  of  the  handling  of 
the  precious  commodity  as  it  was  landed.  The  rubber  is  packed  in 
wooden  boxes,  a  case  of  fine  Para  weighing  395  pounds,  while  one  of 
coarse  in  a  larger  case  will  weigh  about  700  pounds.  Caucho,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  shipped  in  all  sorts  of  odd  sized  packages.  The  Para 


2OO 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


PELLES       OF    PARA    RUBBER    IN    THE    STOREHOUSE. 


cases  are  usually  strapped  and  are  very  carefully  stowed  and  cared 
for  from  the  time  they  leave  Brazil.  On  their  arrival  in  New  York, 
for  example,  the  discharging  begins  at  once,  the  amount  for  each  con- 


GREAT    RUBBER    STOREHOUSES,    ST.    KATHERINE  S    DOCK,    LONDON. 


OF    THE   AMAZON 


201 


signee  being  placed  by  itself.  After  the  whole  cargo  has  been  unloaded, 
the  cases  are  weighed  with  the  rubber  in  them.  The  rubber  is  then  care- 
fully unpacked  and  the  case  weighed.  It  is  then  repacked  and  de- 
livered to  the  consignee. 

No  one  knows  better  than  the  quiet,  skillful  stevedores  the  value 
of  the  product  they  handle.  The  bartenders  at  the  nearby  saloons  are 
also  aware  of  its  value  and  are  perfectly  willing  to  accept  it  as  legal 
tender  in  exchange  for  drinks.  In  spite  of  the  vigilant  watch  of  those 


INTERIOR  OF  STORAGE  VAULTS  IN  RUBBER  WAREHOUSES,   ST.   KATHERINE's 
DOCK,  LONDON. 


interested,  considerable  rubber  is  lost  on  the  dock  or  in  transit  to  the 
warehouses  of  the  consignee.  The  thief  may  be  detected  or  he  may 
not.  The  fact  that  he  has  the  rubber  in  his  possession  is  not  proof 
that  it  was  stolen.  The  pelles  look  so  much  alike  that  it  is  often  im- 
possible to  establish  title  to  them. 

The  value  of  the  rubber  cargoes  is  very  great.  In  a  single  month 
four  steamers  discharged  at  the  Brooklyn  docks  2,000,000  pounds  of 
rubber  each,  worth,  at  market  price  at  that  time,  considerably  more 
than  $10.000.000. 


SKETCH  MAP 
OK  THE 

MADEIRA-MAMORE  RY. 

Nov.  1909 


PORTO  VELHO 


N 


UEQEISD 

Paifroad  Coos-frucfed  (Irvelre  gauge) 
Cons^rue-ti'on  in  Progress 
Location  Surveys  in  Progress 
Probable  Poufe  of  Location 
Falls  of  fne  Madeira  R/ver 

Scale    Ki^orri^res    ^^^          g^^| 
Scale  Miles 


APPENDIX  A 

I  WISH  to  express  my  thanks  to  Dr.  Joao  Antonio  Luiz   Coelho,   Governor  of 
the   State  of   Para,  and  to  Colonel  Antonio  Clemente  Bittencourt,   Governor 
of   the    State   of    Amazonas,    for   their   personal   assistance,    and   for   that   of 
other    officials   which    made   my   trip   through    the    Amazonian    rubber    country    so 
fruitful.     The  hospitality  and  helpfulness  of  the  Manaos  Commercial  Association, 
and    of    the    Brazilian,    German,    English,    and    American    business    men    was    of 
untold  value,  and  I  take  pleasure  in  acknowledging  my  appreciation. 


213 


APPENDIX  B 


EXPORTS   OF  RUBBER   FROM   THE  AMAZON  VALLEY. 

THE  figures  which  follow  relate  to  the  quantity  of  rubber  shipped,  by  years, 
from  1836  to  1909,  inclusive.     Prior  to  1836,  say  for  ten  years,  considerable 
rubber    was    exported,    but    the    records    are    fragmentary    and    unreliable. 
The   figures   have  been   compiled    from   the   records   at    Para,   covering   the   whole 
output    of    the    Amazon    and    its    tributaries.      Succeeding    tables    give    details    of 
exports    from    Bolivia    and    Peru,    which    figures    are    embraced    in    the    total    in 
the    first   table.     The    statistics    of    caucho,    beginning    with    1888,    are    in    addition 
to  the  output  in  each  year  of  Para  rubber. 


PARA  RUBBER. 
Pounds.       Years. 


Years. 

1836  416,295 

1837  624,624 

1838  535,986 

1839  861,894 

1840  854,172 

1841  746,328 

1842  594,792 

1843  748,473 

1844  992,673 

1845  1,235,223 

1846  1,482,195 

1847 1,374,318 

1848  1,982,475 

1849  2,152,392 

1850  3,226,410 

1851  3,480,510 

1852  3,592,446 

1853  5,207,092 

1854  5,974,320 

1855  4,833,279 

1856  4,192,584 

1857  3,979,173 

1858  3,839,682 

1859  5,883,108 

1860  5,879,478 

1861             5,532,186 


Pounds. 

1862  7,381,836 

1863  : 9,676,678 

1864 7,624,881 

1865  7,800,870 

1866  11,957,198 

1867  12,818,964 

1868  12,432,761 

1869  12,926,509 

1870  14,523,577 

1871  14,883,866 

1872  18,078,570 

1873  19,341,005 

1874  16,974,408 

1875  17,005,972 

1876  17,400,148 

1877  20,273,825 

1878  20,302,871 

1879  22,300,117 

1880  19,094,691 

1881  19,145,552 

1882  22,159,542 

1883  17,202,766 

1884  24,657,600 

1885  25,920,400 

1886  27,918.000 

1887  29,458,000 


214 


OF    THE  AMAZON                                     215 

PARA  RUBBER — CONTINUED — AND  CAUCHO. 

Years.  Para.                                                   Caucho. 

1888     30,701,350     2,323,116 

1889     33.094,083 1,863,031 

1890     33,947,463     2,121,363 

1891     36,654,101     2,482,590 

1892     37,738,681     2,981,132 

1893     39,473,626     2,612,812 

1894     39,940,822     2,901,292 

1895     42,092,752     3,600,326 

1896     43,697,417     3,826,706 

1897     45,019,282     4,560,627 

1898 43,877,636     4,322,179 

1899     50,368,083     5.577,937 

1900     52,793,538     6.053,520 

1901     57,918,540     8,720,556 

1902     55,790,687     7,018,829 

1903     59,145,050     9,263,822 

1904     57,640,3%     9,776,704 

1905     60,403,160     13,223,994 

1906     62,560,813     13,928,248 

1907     66,789,166     15,741,968 

1908     67,389,821     16,349,551 

1909 68,522,657 18,272,190 

1910 36,999,965     12,940,76? 

TOTAL  EXPORTS  OF  BOLIVIAN  RUBBER. 
[Para,  including  a  little  Caucho.] 

Years.                                                 Pounds.  Years.                                                 Pounds. 

1890     646,800      1900     7,691,728 

1891     759.000      1901     7,623,138 

1892     799,480      1902     4.186,585 

1893     868,600      1903     2,906,274 

1894     1,391,500      1904     3.456,481 

1895     1,804,902      1905     3,720,908 

1896     2,509.566      1906     4,245,138 

1897     3,683,295      1907     3,606,664 

1398     6.943,100      1908     4,027,128 

1899     4,708,000      1909     6,715,399 

PERUVIAN  RUBBER   (PARA  AND  CAUCHO)    SHIPPED  FROM   IQUITOS. 

Years.                                                 Pounds.  Years.                                                 Pounds. 

1900     2,019,851      1905     5,166,110 

1901     2.552,686      1906     5,747,625 

1902     3,104,114      1907     6,903,237 

1903     4,528,625      1908     6,781.573 

1904  ..4.017,193      1909     6,086,375 


APPENDIX  C 

SHRINKAGE    OF   RUBBER. 

CRUDE  stock  of  nearly  all  kinds  is  measured  by  certain  standards  that  are 
absolute.  The  price  paid  depends  entirely  upon  purity  as  compared  with 
the  fixed  standard.  Sugar,  for  example,  is  carefully  tested  by  the 
polariscope,  and  the  price  paid  for  it  depends  upon  the  amount  of  the  saccharine 
matter  found. 

There  is  no  standard  for  crude  rubber.  The  highest  grade  of  rubber,  old 
dry  Fine  Para,  is  not  a  standard,  for  no  one  knows  what  the  shrinkage  will  be. 
With  new  crop  rubber  it  is  the  same.  The  shrinkage  may  be  one  figure,  or  it 
may  be  10  per  cent.  more.  There  is  first  the  shrinkage  en  route  or  in  store, 
which  is  considerable,  through  the  water  drying  out.  Then  there  is  the  greater 
shrinkage  when  the  moisture,  the  carbon  from  the  smoke,  and  other  foreign 
substances  have  been  thoroughly  removed  by  washing  in  the  factory. 

Para  shrinkages,  from  Bolivian  to  Islands,  vary  about  as  follows :  Fine,  15 
to  20  per  cent. ;  medium,  16  to  22  per  cent. ;  coarse,  20  to  33  per  cent.  This  in  a 
measure,  is  why  Para  and  Manaos  statistics  do  not  jibe  with  New  York  and 
Liverpool  figures,  for  example. 

Various  grades   of   Para  and   Caucho  rubber,   showing  percentage  of   shrinkages : 

Class.  Fine.            Medium.  Coarse. 

Upriver    16-18               17-19  18-25 

Peruvian    15-17                16-18  20-25 

Bolivian    15-17               16-18  20-25 

Mollendo   15-17               16-18 

Madeira    15-18               16-19  20-25 

Manaos     16-17                17-18  18-22 

Angostura    16-18                17-19  25-30 

Matto    Grosso    16-18               17-19  18-25 

Islands    18-20                18-22  25-35 

Caviana    16-18                18-20  25-30 

Itaituba    17-18                18-19  20-25 

Cameta    30-35 

Caucho  balls    25-35 

Caucho   slabs  or  strips 35-42 

RUBBER  SELLING  CONDITIONS. 

Crude  rubber  is  sold  to  the  manufacturer  in  the  main  about  as  follows : 

1.  The    seller   draws   up,    signs,    and   sends    a    contract   to   the    buyer,    stating 
conditions  of  sale.     Silence  on  the  part  of  the  buyer  is  acceptance  of  contract. 

2.  Any  change  must  be  made  10  days  from  the   dating  of   the  contract. 

216 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


217 


3.  The  rubber  becomes  purchaser's  property  as  soon  as  it  leaves  the  seller's 
hands,  the  buyer  paying  the  freight. 

4.  Stealing  en  route  is  the  buyer's  loss. 

5.  If   the    shipment   is    questioned    as    to    quality,    if   bought    by   sample,    that 
is    compared.      If    not   up    to    sample,    seller    must    replace   the    lot    with    what    he 
agreed  to  deliver. 

6.  The  buyer   is  not   allowed   to   select  the  good   and   reject   the  bad   of  any 
lot.     He  must  take  all  or  none. 

7.  If  the  seller  fails  to  make  deliveries  on  or  before  the  last  week  day  of  the 
month    specified,    the   buyer   can    enter   the    open    market    and    purchase,    charging 
the  loss  to  the  seller.     This,  however,  is  very  rarely  done. 

Rubber  is  purchased  by  the  manufacturer  by  samples,  the  price  depending 
not  only  upon  the  grade,  but  also  upon  its  dryness  and  cleanliness.  Years  ago, 
when  it  took  many  months  to  get  fine  Para  into  the  market,  the  water  had  dried 
out  of  it,  so  that  "old  fine"  meant  a  comparatively  dry  rubber. 

To-day  with  the  much  quicker  transportation  and  the  immediate  use  to  which 
rubber  is  put,  most  of  the  grades  contain  much  more  moisture. 

PRICES  AND   SPECULATIONS. 
Average  Monthly  and  Yearly  Prices  of  New  Upriver  Fine  Para  Rubber  for  Eleven  Years. 


Jan  

1900 
.$1.09 

1901 
$    90 

1902 
$    81 

1903 
$    89 

1904      1905      1906      1907      1908      1909      1910 
$    99    $1  22    $1  26    $1  22    $    78    $1  21    $1  82 

Feb     .. 

1  07 

87 

75 

87 

1  04      1  27         27      1  21          71       1  23      1  98 

Mar      .    .. 

.  1  12 

85 

74 

91 

1  09      1  31          27      1  18          76      1  24      2  33 

April 

.   1.00 

89 

73 

91 

1  09      1  32         26      1  16         81       1  ?3      2  75 

May    . 

96 

91 

73 

92 

1  13      1  33         25      1  14         88         30      2  57 

June     .... 

.       93 

88 

71 

91 

1  12      I  32         24      I  10         91          43      2  34 

July     . 

.     .95 

.86 

.71 

.95 

1  15      1  29      1  23      1  12         93          72      2  23 

August    .  . 
Sept  
Oct  

.     .96 
.   1.01 
.     .97 

.88 
.89 
.87 

.73 

.76 

.77 

.97 
1.05 
1.04 

1.19      1.28      1.23      1.11         .93        .87      2.03 
1.15      1.30      1.23      1.08        .99        .52      1.73 
1  15      1.25      1  23      1  02      1  08         08      1  43 

Nov  
Dec     

.     .86 
93 

.85 
.86 

.80 
.85 

.97 
95 

1.23      1.23      1.23        .99      1.21         .98      1.44 
1  24      1  26      1  23         84      1  19         89      1  43 

Average     ) 
annual      J 

$  .99 

$.871 

$.751 

$  .941 

$1.13    $1.28    $1.241  $1.091    $.93    $1.56    $2.01 

The  existence  of  speculation  in  crude  rubber  is  both  affirmed  and  denied 
by  those  interested.  In  the  Amazon  country  when  rubber  is  low  the  producers 
claim  that  speculators  are  at  work.  The  higher  it  goes  the  more  they  talk  of 
the  law  of  supply  and  demand.  Normally  the  price  of  rubber  is  fixed  by  whatever 
city,  Brazilian,  European  or  American,  that  may  have  the  largest  stock  of  fine  Para. 
Among  manufacturers,  whenever  the  price  of  rubber  goes  up  it  is  laid  to  speculation, 
and  when  it  goes  down  they  talk  about  the  law  of  supply  and  demand.  Never- 
theless the  whole  business  is  speculative.  There  is  no  absolute  standard  as 
to  grade.  No  one  can  forecast  what  a  crop  season  will  produce.  The  manu- 
facturers are  unable  to  say  what  they  will  need  a  year  ahead.  Add  to  this,  with 
a  rate  of  exchange  constantly  changing,  how  can  anybody  help  doing  some 
speculating? 


218  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

Most  large  manufacturers  buy  for  future  delivery,  in  itself  a  speculation, 
but  a  wise  one. 

Such  a  valuable  product  as  Para  rubber  would  naturally  attract  the  attention 
of  big  speculators,  and  "corners"  would  be  attempted.  A  brilliant  Brazilian 
Baron,  beginning  in  1882,  almost  cornered  Para  rubber  four  different  times,  and 
in  doing  this  succeeded  in  forcing  the  price  up  to  figures  then  thought  prohibitive. 
An  American  importing  company  also  came  very  near  effecting  a  corner  on 
rubber — in  fact,  did  so  until  the  banks  got  tired  of  carrying  stocks ;  then  prices 
dropped  very  suddenly. 

A  line  of  speculation  followed  in  the  past  by  strong  outside  interests  was 
the  securing  of  large  quantities  of  rubber  from  the  producers  at  exceedingly  low 
figures,  when  a  marked  rise  in  the  market  was  not  only  in  sight  but  practically 
assured.  This  "bearing"  of  the  market  by  outside  interests  has  been  taken  in 
hand  by  the  Brazilian  government.  Branches  of  the  Banco  do  Brasil  have  been 
established  on  the  Amazon.  These  banks  are  authorized  to  make  substantial 
advances  on  rubber  in  the  hands  of  Brazilian  producers,  which  means  that  the 
rubber  may  be  held  until  what  is  deemed  a  fair  price  be  offered  for  it.  In  other 
words,  this  is  an  adaption  of  the  "valorization"  plan  that  Brazil  put  in  force  to 
keep  the  price  of  coffee  where  she  believed  it  belonged. 

Baron  de  Gondoriz  who  once,  nay  four  times  nearly  cornered  Para  rubber, 
thus  arraigned  the  United  States  for  her  awkward  commercial  arrangements 
with  Brazil.  Although  written  long  ago  it  is  pertinent  to-day. 

"If  North  America  really  desires  more  reciprocal  trade  relations  with  Brazil 
they  might  be  secured  through  the  agency  of  a  carefully  managed  bank  at  Para 
based  on  American  capital.  The  value  of  the  business  done  here  monthly  is  more 
than  $2,500,000,  all  through  English  banking  houses,  which  make  their  money  on 
this  large  exchange.  Two  and  a  half  millions  are  paid  each  month  for  the  natural 
products  of  the  Amazon  valley,  two  thirds  of  which  go  to  the  United  States. 
The  rubber  men  of  the  United  States  pay  gold  coin  through  English  banks  for 
crude  rubber,  and  the  rubber  producer  here  pays  the  producer  in  merchandise 
making  room  for  a  heavy  profit,  by  the  way.  The  business  in  exchange  is  so 
great  that  it  is  said  that  there  is  a  broker  for  each  firm  in  trade,  the  fluctuations 
in  the  price  of  exchange  being  something  which  the  uninitiated  find  it  hard  to 
comprehend.  Usually  when  a  foreigner's  occupation  is  gone  as  a  manager  or 
banker,  he  does  not  leave  the  company  which  he  has  severely  condemned,  but 
he  becomes  a  'broker'  and  continues  to  live  among  the  same  objectionable  people." 


APPENDIX  D 


THE    following    is    a    fairly    complete    list    of    latex    producing    trees    in    the 
Amazon     basin     of     the     three     important     classes — Hevea,     Sapium     and 
Mimusops.     The   two   latter    are   not   rubber   producers   at   present   chiefly 
because  they  are  not  tapped.     Most  of  the  rubber  comes  from  the  Hevea  sorts,  the 
Brasiliensis  particularly,  which  furnishes  the  Para  grade,  and  the  CastiHoas  Ulei, 
from  which  comes  caucho. 

SPECIES  OF  "HEVEA." 


Xame.  Botanist. 

Hevea    Guyanensis    Aublet. 

H.  nigra     Ule. 

H.  lutea   Muel.  Arg. 

H.  apiculata    Muel.   Arg. 

H.  cuneata  Huber. 

H.  Benthamiana    Muel.   Arg. 

H.  Duckei     Huber 

H.  paludosa    Ule. 

H. '  rigidifolia    Muel.  Arg. 

H.  minor    Hemsley. 

H.  micro  phylla     Ule. 


Xame.  Botanist. 

H.  Randiana Huber. 

H.  Brasiliensis    Muel.    Arg. 

H.  Spruceana   Muel.  Arg. 

H.  sintilis    Hemsley 

H.  discolor    Muel.  Arg. 

H.  pauci flora     Muel.  Arg. 

//.  confusa    Hemsley. 

H.  nitida    Muel.  Arg. 

H.  viridis   „ Huber. 

H.  Kunthiana    .  ..Huber. 


SPECIES   OF   "CASTILLOA." 
Cast  ill  oa   Ulei Warburg. 


SPECIES  OF  "SAPIUM." 

Sapium  Mannieri   Huber. 

5\  aereum     Muel.    Arg. 

S.  Pavonianum     Huber. 

5.  Poeppigii    Hemsley. 

S.  stenophyllum   Huber. 

S.  tapuru    Ule. 

S.  lanceolatum     Muel.    Arg. 


SPECIES    OF   BALATA. 

Mimusops  densi  flora Huber. 

M.  amazonica   Huber. 

M .  elata    Freire. 

M.  Amazonica    Huber. 

M.  Paraensis    Freire. 

M.  discolor    .  Freire. 


219 


APPENDIX   E 

IT  will  be  news  to  most,  but  in  1850  Para  had  a  big  rubber  shoe  factory  of  its 
own.  It  came  about  in  this  way.  The  city  of  Salem,  Massachusetts,  back  in 

the  '40' s  was  most  enterprising  in  fitting  out  trading  vessels  that  went  to  all 
parts .  of  the  world.  One  of  the  best  known  captains  brought  to  the  ''city  of 
witches"  a  pair  of  pure  gum  unvulcanized  rubber  shoes  on  clay  lasts.  Some 
bright  Yankee  saw  that  they  could  be  made  to  take  place  of  wool  socks  and 
moccasins  and  imported  several  pairs  which  sold  readily.  The  business  in- 
creasing, a  Salem  house  established  a  rubber  shoe  factory  in  Para.  Their  shoes 
were  known  under  the  name  of  Fabrica  and  sold  all  over  the  world,  retailing 
at  50  cents  to  $1.25  a  pair. 

These  thick,  awkward,  ill  shaped  shoes,  with  their  crude  ornamentation  may 
still  be  seen  in  museums.  A  few  venerable  shoe  dealers  also  recollect  their 
own  part  in  preparing  them  for  market.  When  a  box  of  shoes  was  received  from 
Para,  they  were  stored  in  a  cool  cellar  to  keep  them  away  from  heat.  Then  came 
the  preparing  them  for  sale.  They  were  truned  inside  out,  relieved  of  their 
stuffing  of  hay,  thoroughly  washed,  and  stretched  over  wooden  lasts.  Some  had 
round  toes,  some  pointed ;  some  were  thick,  some  thin ;  there  were  no  rights  and 
lefts.  They  were,  however,  paired  up  as  well  as  possible,  warmed  and  molded  into 
shape;  trimmed  and  varnished,  and  they  found  a  ready  sale. 

They  became  very  soft  when  heated  and  under  the  influence  of  cold  grew 
rigid  as  iron.  They  drew  the  feet  excruciatingly.  But  thousands  of  pairs  were 
sold  and  there  are  those  to-day  of  course  who  lament  the  passing  of  the  pure 
rubber  shoes. 

Salem  also  imported  rubber  bottles  about  this  same  time,  which  bottles 
were  cut  up  into  strips  for  suspender  webs.  How  large  a  business  this  was  for 
a  few  years  is  on  record  in  the  Salem  custom  house,  in  the  handwriting  of 
Nathaniel  Hawthorne,  as  follows : 

Years.  Pounds. 

1850-1851 43,000 

1851-1852 1,969,000 

1852-1853 1,407,000 

1853-1854 2,056,000 

After  1854  the  business  of  importing  rubber  into  Salem  dropped  off  very 
rapidly,  and  ceased  entirely  in  1861. 


220 


INDEX 


ACRE,    The,    Brazilian    rule   in 

163,  165,  166,  167,  168 

Cession  of,  by  Bolivia 145 

Climate  161 

Government  of    167 

History    161,    162,  163 

Rubber  territory   161 

Unexplored  regions   168 

Adulteration  of  rubber  38,  39 

Amazonas,  The  (steamer)    179 

Amazon  river  at  Iquitos   154 

between  Brazil  and  Colombia..    175 

Depth  of   89 

Fishing  boats   on 18 

Floating  islands  on    87 

Floods 87,  88 

Forest  of    79 

Mail  service  of   114 

Mouth  of  17,  18 

Narrows  of    ' 79,  82 

Palisades  on   91,  92 

Rise   of    64 

Source  of    78 

Steamers  of   112,  113,  114 

The  "living  river"   92 

Width    of    86,  89 

Amazon  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  112,  113 

Amazon  Telegraph  Co 83 

Amazon  valley,  Rubber  exports  from  214 

Americans  in  Brazil   34,  36,  118 

Angostura   rubber 175 

Associagao     Commercial    do    Ama- 
zonas     114 

A  ttala  excelsa  palm  nuts  69 

Aviador,  Business  methods  of  the.. 
59,  60,  61,  62 

BALATA  in  the  Amazon  country.. 51,  219 

Barbados,   Arrival  in    4 

as  a  health  resort   11,  12 

Clubs  in   8 

Cotton   in    6 

"Ekanda"  in  5 

Golf  in  8,  9,  10 

Manjack    in    .  . , 6 

Roads  of  / 

Rubber  in   - 

Sugar  in   •. 5,8 

Barracao,    the   rubber   workers'    hut    80 
Batelaos   (rubber  boats)    119,121 


Beetle,  Borer,  in  Hevea   105 

Beni  river    136,   138 

Beriberi    125 

Birds  on  the  Amazon    81 

Bolivia,  Climate  of   148 

Land  concessions  in,  142,  143, 144, 145 

Railroads  in  145 

Rubber  exports  from 215 

Rubber  in  the  Montana  of   ....   138 
Bolivian  Steam  Navigation  Co. ..134,  135 

Borracha    116 

Brazil  Railway  Co 123 

Brazilians,  Characteristics  of   34,  41 

Breves,  a  rubber  center 82 

Brooklyn  docks,  Rubber   at 201 

Butterflies  on  the  Amazon  82 

Buzzards    81 

CABLE  stations  83 

Cafe  da  Paz 34,  181 

"Capoeira"  land   186 

Caqueta   river    173 

Casiquiare  river,  Rubber  on,  117,  176,  177 

Castilloa  Ulei,  Fungus  on 45 

growing  with  Hevca 51 

the  source  of  caucho 51,  154,  156 

Caucho  gathering  in  Peru   

156,  157,  158,  159 

Identification  of,  in  Brazil    ..51,  52 

Meaning  of  the  word    158 

Cearenses  (see  Laborers,  Contract). 

Centipede,  Experience  with 48 

Central  Cotton  Ginning  Factory  ...       6 

Church,  George  Earl 135 

Clubs  at  Barbados  8 

at   Para 33 

Coagulating  machines   75,   160 

Coagulation  of  rubber   68 

Codrington  College   7 

Colds,  Tropical   108 

Collins,  James,  quoted  189 

Colombia,   Rubber   in 175 

Commercial  Association  at  Manaos 

104,    106,    114 

Congress,  Rubber 93,  102 

Consul,  American,  at  Barbados.... 

American,  at  Para   30,  4 

Conway,  Sir  Martin,  quoted 189 

Cotton  in  Barbados 5,  6 

Continho  (see  Danin). 


222 


THE  RUBBER  COUXTRY 


Cow  tree   47 

Cross,  Robert,  quoted  179 

Cupussu     106 

DA  COSTA  smoking  coagulator   75 

Damn's   rubber  coagulator    75 

Dutch  art    1 

EKANDA  rubber  in  Barbados    4 

Estradas,  Rubber 63,  65,  142 

Exports  of  rubber   from  the  Ama- 
zon    214,  215 

Export  taxes  on  rubber  98 

FARINHA  in  adulterating  rubber.. 38,  39 
Fever,  Occurence  of,  on  the  Amazon     52 

Tertian     148 

Yellow 23,  24 

Ficus  elastica  in  Barbados   4 

Fire  department  of  Para  25 

Floating  islands 79 

Forest  conditions  of  Hevea  183 

Forests,  Tropical 183,  185,  186 

Clearing   the   land   of 186 

Fungus  on  rubber 45 

Funtuinia  in   Barbados    4. 

GARDEN,    Botanic,   in    Para    25 

Public,  in   Barbados    12 

Golf  in  Barbados  8,  9,  10 

Gondoriz,  Baron  de,  quoted  218 

Gossypium  Barbadense 6 

Government,   Municipal,  in  Brazil..     58 

Governor  of  Para,  Visit  to  30 

Guapore  river  170,  171 

HAMBURG-AMERICAN  excursions    ...  34 
Hevea     Brasiliensis     as     a     rubber 

source     50 

Fungus  on  45 

introduced  into  the  Far  East...  179 

in   Peru    159 

in  wet  lands 85,  183 

Naming  of  the 57 

Nut  of  the 47 

on  the  Negro 105 

Overtapping  of   45 

planted  in  a  Manaos  park   ....  Ill 

Yield  of   71,  188 

Hevea  lutea 146 

Hevea  Guyanensis 107,  173 

Hevea  Randiana  50 

Hevea  Spruceana   50 

Hevea,  Varieties  of   50,  219 

Hotel  in  Barbados   10 

Huber,    Dr.   Jacques    

45,  49,  50,  51,  52,  75,  111 

INDIANS,  Friendly  128,  138 

Peruvian    154 


Indians,      Preservation     of     human 

heads   by    130 

Rubber  manufacture  by  129 

Venezuelan    177 

Wild   102,  136,  137 

Iquitos  150,  151,  152,  154 

Rubber  exports  from 215 

Isla  des  Uncas   (see  Oncas  Island). 

Itacoatiara 92,   119 

KONINKLIJKE   West    Indische    Mail- 
dienst   1,  2,  3,  4,  18 

LABORERS,  Contract. ..  .62,  63,  64,  65,  67 

Difficulty  of  securing  77 

German 130,  131,  132 

Rubber  warehouse  41,  102 

Lake   1  iticaca    .146 


'MXDEIRA-MAMORE  railway  

V  —  JJL9,  123,  125,  128,  133,  134,  135,  136 

MacIeTra  river,  Cataracts  on  ....119,  121 
Difficulties   of   transportation. 

Transportation  rates 121,  125 

Tributaries  of    136 

Manaos,  Arrival  at   93 

Climate   of    108 

Commercial  Association   

104,  106,  114,  213 

Experiment  station  in 102 

Planting  Hevea  in   Ill 

Price  of  living  in   98 

Rubber   houses   01    95 

Subway  of    97 

Tram  cars  of  95 

Manaos  Harbor  Co.,  Floating  docks  100 

Mangabeira   rubber    172 

Marajo  island,  Rubber  on  73 

Matto  Grosso,  rubber  in    170 

Milreis,  the  Brazilian  money  unit.  .  23 

Mimusops  in  the  Brazils.  .."  .51.  75,  219 

Monetary  system,  Brazilian 23 

Moqueens    33 

Morinha's  rubber  smoking  apparatus  160 

Mortality  in  rubber  districts   168 

Mosquitos,   Malaria    23 

Yellow  fever  23,  108 

Museu  Goeldi   49 

NAPO   river   173 

Negro  (see  Rio  Negro). 

Newspapers  of  Para   32 

Nuts,  Brazilian    99 

for  smoking  rubber  99 

OBIDOS,  The  town  of  91 

Ohio,  A  visiting  manufacturer  from 

31,  32 

Oncas  island  43,  46,  47,  48.  86 

Orinoco    river    176 

Orton    river    .  141 


OF    THE    AMAZON 


223 


<(Ouro  preto"   1 16 

Ownership  of  estates  166,  167 

PALM  nuts  for  curing  rubber 68 

Para,  Advantages  of,  in  rubber  pro- 
duction  182,   183 

Agricultural   experiment  station  182 

a  modern  city    24,  25 

Approach  to 19,  20 

a  rival  of  Manaos   42 

Carnival  in    34 

Clubs  of    33 

Farewell  to  195 

Fire  department  of    25,  26,  27 

Gathering  rubber  in    159 

Governor  of 30,  31 

History  of   27,  28,  29 

Intendente  of  32 

Mosquitos  in    23 

Newspapers  of  32,  33 

Office  hours  in 25 

Population  and  situation  of....     29 

reminder  of   Pans    24 

Rubber  house  in 38,  40,  41 

Rubber  shoes  made  in   220 

Vigilance  of  customs  officials,  20,  21 

Peru,  Land  concessions  in   160 

Montana  of   150,  151,  154 

Opening  up  of  151 

Rubber  exports  from 215 

Planting  interest   in    Para   and   Ma- 
naos         187 

Port  of   Para   20,  123 

Porto  Velho  newspapers   125 

Pozelina    75 

Prainha    88 

Price  of  rubber  in  Para 41 

Purus   river    139 

Putumayo   river    173 

RAILROAD  system  of  Brazil 123 

Railroads,  Early  efforts  at  building 

134,    135,    136 

Railway  from  Para  183 

Riker's   plantation    (see   Santarem). 

Rio  Negro,  Entrance  into   93 

Hevea  on  the    105 

the  "dead  river"   92 

Trip  up  the    104 

Rubber,  Adulteration  of... 38,  39,  40.  75 

Angostura   175 

Bolivian 138,  139,  140,  142,  146 

Bolivian  method  of  gathering. .   147 
Bolivian  method  of  branding. .     48 

Branding    71 

Cameta   71,  75 

city,   Para  the    19 

Coagulating  70,  73 

Congress  at  Manaos  93,  102 

Coarse  Para  70 

Early  trade  in   57 


Rubber  export  statistics    214,  215 

forest,  Extent  of 77 

gathering  on  the  Rio  Negro 177 

markets    , . .     42 

Aiatto  Grosso    171,   172,   173 

Native  manufacture  of  129 

Palm  nuts  used  in  smoking 

68,  69,  70 

pelles,  Size  of  192,  194 

Peruvian  152,  156 

planting  in  Brazil   187,  188 

prices   and   speculation 217 

prices  in  Para   41 

Purus    169 

Rules  for  shipment  of 16 

selling  conditions   216 

ShrinKage  of 216 

Smoking 68,  69,  70 

talk  aboard  steamer   16 

Tapping  and  collecting  of 67 

tapping  season 77,  188 

Taxes  on. .  .59,  98,  142,  160,  165,  173 

Test  for  adulterated   39 

trees,  Diseases  of  45 

trees,  How  reached  65,  66,  67 

trees      overtapped      on      Oncas 

island 43,  44,  45 

trees,  Size  of   71,  73 

trees,  Yield  of   188,  189,  190 

Unloading  cargoes  of 200,  201 

Yield  of    71,   188,  190 

SALEM,    Massachusetts,   Rubber   im- 
ports at   2201 

San  Antonio 125 

Santarem  - 90,  178,  179" 

Sapium,  Distribution  of 75 

Varieties  of  50,  219 

Savannah  Club  8,  9 

Season,  Wet  169 

Seringal,  A  63,  64,  66 

Seringueiro,  Work  of  the 67,  68 

Seringrina     75 

Serpa  (see  Ttacoatiara). 

Shoes,  Rubber,  made  at  Para 220 

Shrinkage  of  rubber   216 

Siphonia  elastica 57 

Smoking  rubber   68,  70 

Solimoes  river  

Southern    Cross    85 

Species  of   Balata    219 

Castilloa 219 

Hevca     219 

Sapium     2 

Speculation    in   rubber    217 

Suarez,  Nicolas    149.   162,  163 

Sugar  in   Barbados    5.   7 

TAPAJOS  river   178 

Tapping  season    77,   188 

tools  for  rubber    48 


224 


THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


Tax,  Assessment  of  export 194 

Head,  for  travelers 118 

on  rubber  exports   98 

on  rubber  in  Peru   160,  194 

Thanks,  The  author's  213 

Theatro  Amazonas 110 

Tocantins,  The   18 

Torres  system  for  preserving  latex  73 

Trade  winds    15 

UCAYALI  river   154 

Ule,   Ernest    45 

Urucuru  palm  nuts   68 

VENEZUELA  rubber  territory,  175,  176,  177 

WAGES  in  rubber  warehouses  .  40 


"Wall  street"  of   Para    38,  40 

Waterway  from  Manaos  to  the  Ori- 
noco       177 

Waterways  of  Colombia 175 

of  Northern  Brazil   121 

West  Indies  3,  4 

Whitney,  Casper  116 

Wickham  (H.  A.),  gathering  rubber 

seeds   179 

Windmill  for  cane  grinding  2 

Wireless  stations  84,  132,  133 

YANKEE  Consuls  (see  Consul). 

visitors  in  Para   34 

Yield  of  rubber 77,  188,  190 

XINGU  river   .  .   171 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Wind  Mill  for  Cane  Grinding,  Barbados 2 

Squeeze  Rolls  for  Crushing  Sugar  Cane 3 

Typical   Barbadian    Negro    Hut 4 

Ginning  Sea  Island  Cotton,  Barbados : 5 

Field  of   Sea  Island   Cotton,   Barbados 6 

Avenue  of  Royal  Palms,  Bridgetown 8 

Codrington   College,   Barbados 9 

Man  jack  Mine,  Barbados 11 

Public  Gardens,  Bridgetown,  Barbados 12 

Constable  of  the  Golf  Course,  Barbados 14 

An  Aggressive  Bovine  Bunker  on  the  Golf  Course,  Barbados 15 

Rubber  Lighters  and  Frontage  of  the  City  of  Para 17 

Native  Fishing  Boat,  Tocantins  River 18 

Business   Street,   Para 19 

Rubber  Warehouse,  Para 20 

Typical  Rubber  Offices,  Para 21 

The  Avenida  Republica,   Para 24 

Praca  da  Independencia,  Para 25 

Salon  in  Theatre  da  Paz,  Para 26 

Public  Library,  Para 26 

City  Hospital,   Para 27 

Fire  Department  on  Parade  in  Front  of  Their  Barracks,  Para 28 

Typical  City  Street,  Para 31 

Proposed  New  Municipal  Building,  Para 32 

Examining  Rubber  for  Shipment 33 

Part  of  the  Dock  System,  Para 35 

Cutting  and  Grading  Fine  Para  Rubber  in  a  Warehouse,  Para 37 

Para  Rubber  in  Heneratagoda  Gardens,  Ceylon 39 

Brazilian  Machine  for  Smoking  Para  Rubber  Milk 40 

Type  of  Steamer  Used  in  the  Amazonian  Basin  for  Rubber  Transportation..  41 

Dishonestly  Prepared   Strip  Rubber 42 

Rope  Contents  of  the  Above 42 

Mangroves,  Shore  of  Oncas  Island,  Near  Para 44 

Igarape,  Oncas  Island 45 

Ashore  on   Oncas   Island 46 

Much  Tapped  Rubber  Tree,  Para 47 

Brazilian    Bush    Knives 48 

Machadinha,  or  Rubber  Tapping  Axe 48 

Nursery  of  Young  Para  Rubber  Trees,  Museu  Goeldi 50 

Museu  Gceldi — Administration   Building 51 

Museu  Goeldi — Reservoir 52 

225 


226  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 

PAGE 

Hevea  Brasiliensis — the  Rubber  Tree  of  the  Amazon 53 

Tree  From  Which  Caucho  Comes   (Castilloa   Ulei) 54 

Hevea  Randiana — A  Barren  Rubber  Tree 55 

Hevea  Brasiliensis,  the  Para  Rubber  Tree 58 

Leaves  and  Nuts  From  the  Hevea  Brasiliensis 59 

Rubber  Tree  Growing  on  River  Bank 60 

Sketch    Showing  Trunk  of   Hevea  Brasiliensis   and   Lactiferous   Tubes    Much 

Enlarged 61 

Dwelling  of  Rubber  Gatherers  on  the  Amazon 62 

Plan   of   a   Seringa! 63 

Seringueiro  Going  His  Rounds 64 

Tapping  a  Para  Rubber  Tree 65 

Seringueiros  Bringing  Home  Latex 66 

The  "Urucuri"   Palm 69 

Cameta,  on  the  Amazon  and  Tocantins 70 

Seringueiros   Smoking    Para   Rubber 72 

Brazilian  Machine  for  Coagulating  Latex 73 

Beautiful  Fasenda  Near  Breves 74 

Spiral  Tapping  of  Hevea  Brasiliensis. 76 

Island  in  the  Lower  Amazon 79 

Scene  in  the  Narrows 80 

Seringueiro' s  Hut  on  the  Amazon 81 

Butterfly    Hunter 82 

Breves,  on  the  Lower  Amazon 83 

Author's  Quarters  on  the  Chart  House  Deck 86 

Floating  Grass  Island  on  the  Amazon 87 

Santarem,  and  American   Settlement 88 

Obidos,  on  the  Amazon 89 

Gathering   Turtle   Eggs 90 

Itacoatiara,  or  Serpa 91 

Bird's  Eye  View  of  the  Alanaos  Water  Front 94 

Examining  Rubber  in  Manaos  Warehouse 95 

Manaos — Bird's  Eye  View  of  the  City 96 

Author,  His  Interpreter,  and  the  "Renault" 97 

Transferring  Cases  of  Rubber  by  Aerial  Cables 98 

Author  in  an  American  Home,  Manaos 99 

Custom  House,   Manaos 100 

Floating  Docks  and  Aerial  Cables 101 

Roadway   to    Floating   Docks 101 

Waterworks,   Manaos 103 

Theatre    Amazonas,    Manaos 103 

River  Excursion   Near   Manaos 104 

View  on  the  Rio  Negro  Near  Manaos 105 

Plantation  House  on  Rio  Negro 106 

Rio  Negro  Pelle  of  Rubber  at  Manaos  Exhibition 107 

Machine  for  Smoking  Latex 108 

Rubber  Tree  Planted  by  the  Author  in  Manaos..  .   109 


OF    THE    AMAZON  227 

PAGE 

Church  of  St.  Sebastian,  Manaos HO 

Palace  of  Justice,  Manaos 1 13 

Commercial  Association  Building,   Manaos 114 

Jardim  da  Praca  General  Osorio,  Manaos 115 

Victoria  Regia  in  Estuary  of  the  Amazon 115 

Jardim   da    Praca  da   Constitugao,   Manaos 116 

Staff  House,  for  American  Clerks,  Manaos 117 

San  Antonio,  Head  of  Steam  Navigation  of  the  Madeira  River 120 

Hauling  Rubber  Boat  Around  the  Falls  of  the  Madeira 121 

Falls  and  Rapids  on  the  Madeira  River 122 

Construction  Camp,   Madeira-Mamore  Railway 122 

Construction  Work  in  Progress « 123 

Camp  Hospitals  for  Laborers,   Madeira-Mamore  Railway 124 

Rock  Cut  on  Railway  Line 124 

Bad  Landslide  on  the  Railway 125 

Track   Laid,    Madeira-Mamore    Railway 126 

Making  Quinine  Capsules  in  the  Hospital 127 

Construction    Train,    Madeira-Mamore    Railway 127 

Caripuna  Indians  and  Bark  Boat 128 

Indian   Coating  Calico   Bag  With   Rubber   Milk 130 

Rubber  Articles  Made  by  Indians  on  Upper  Rivers 131 

Indian  Head  Dresses 132 

Human  Heads,  Shrunken,  Used  as  Indian  War  Trophies 133 

An    Indian    Sling   Shot 134 

Mosquito  Proof  Headgear  Used  by  Engineers  in  Brazilian  Forests 135 

Steamer  at  Porto  Velho,  Madeira-Mamore  Railway 136 

Relic  of  the  First  Attempt  at  Railroad  Building  on  the  Madeira 137 

Navigation   on  the   Upper   Rivers 139 

Sorata,    Bolivia 139 

Bridge  Built  of  Railroad  Rails 140 

A  Level  Stretch  on  the  Madeira 140 

A  Balsa  Transporting  Rubber. . ! 141 

Weighing    Caucho,    Bolivia 141 

Straw  Boats  on  Lake  Titicaca 142 

Tapping  Para  Rubber  Tree,  Bolivia 143 

Smoking   Para   Rubber,   Bolivia 144 

Cutting  Rubber  From   Paddles,   Bolivia 145 

Fire    Branding    Rubber,    Bolivia 146 

Suarez,    Bolivia's   Rubber   Baron 147 

Bolivian  Tapping  Axe 148 

Smoking  Para   Rubber,   Peru 151 

Shipping  Rubber  at  Mollendo,   Peru 152 

Typical  Rubber  Barracks  Near  Iquitos 153 

Steamer  on  the  Marafion  Above  Iquitos,  Peru 154 

Only  Practical  Method  for  Obtaining  the  Latex  of  the  Caucho  Tree 155 

Rubber    Gatherers'    Huts,    Peru 156 

Tapping   Para  Rubber  Tree,    Peru 157 


228  THE  RUBBER  COUNTRY 


PAGE 

Settlement  Showing  Edge  of  the  Great  Montana,    Peru 158 

Vegetation  on  the  Rio  Ucayali,  Peru 159 

Peruvian  Machine  for  Smoking  Hevea  Latex 160 

Inundated  Forest  in  the   Purus  River  Valley    162 

Seringal   on   the   River   Acre 164 

Seringal  Sebastopol,  on  the   Purus 165 

Town  of  Canutama,  on  the   Purus 166 

Confluence  of  the  Acre   and    Purus   Rivers 167 

Outfitting  Rubber  Gatherers  at  a  Seringal  on  the  Acre  River 168 

Map  of  the  Venezuelan  Forestal 171 

Batelao  in  the  Rapids,  Upper  Rio  Negro 172 

Embarking  Cattle  on  the  Upper  Rio  Negro 172 

River  Scene  on  the  Upper  Rio  Negro 173 

Town  on  the  Rio  Branco 174 

Fazenda  Capello  on  the  Rio  Branco 174 

Seringal  on  the  Rio  Branco 175 

Forest  Scene  in  Colombia 1 76 

American   Home  in   Santarem 179 

Planted  Hevea  (32  Months  Old)  at  Santarem 180 

Young  Planted  Hevea  on  Tapajos  Plateau 181 

Old  Hevea  Trees  in  the  Forest  Near  Santarem 182 

Old  Heveas  on  Border  of  Stream  Near  Santarem 183 

Shipment  of  Caucho  at  Itaituba  on  the   Tapajos 184 

Street   of    Cearenses,    Para 185 

Railroad  to  Braganga,   Para 185 

Three  Year  Old  Rubber  at  Diamantino 188 

Indian   Tapper  With   Modern   Methods 189 

Herring  Bone  Tapping  of  Hevea  in  South  America 190 

Bungalow  on  the  Lower  Amazon 191 

Hut  of  a  Seringueiro  Near  Para 191 

South   American    Indian    With    Blow    Gun    and   Arrows,    Sketched   by    Lieut. 

Gibbon,   U.   S.   N 192 

Indians  of  the  Rio  Negro 193 

Canoe   Harbor,    Para 196 

Rubber  in  Cases  on  Brooklyn  Dock 196 

Boat  Landing,  Para 197 

Weighing   Rubber   at    Brooklyn 198 

Crude  Rubber  Sample  Room  in   Importer's   Office,   Amsterdam 198 

Last  of  the  City  Suburbs,  Para 199 

Pelles  of  Para  Rubber  in  the  Storehouse 200 

Great  Rubber  Storehouses,  St.  Katherine's  Dock,  London 200 

Interior  of  Storage  Vaults  in  Rubber  Warehouses,  London 201 


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